SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
As a new mandate for the European institutions is about to begin, it is an appropriate moment to take stock of electronic communications. The need for regulatory harmonisation across the EU, and for scaling up the EU’s network operators, played a significant role in the Letta Report and is also expected to play a significant role in the upcoming Draghi report. The Commission has conducted a second consultation based on a new White Paper with an eye to launching new policy initiatives. All these claim that current levels of investment will not be sufficient to achieve the Commission’s ambitious Digital Compass objectives. Tensions between network operators and content and application providers (CAPs) have somewhat calmed down for the moment but the issues are not necessarily resolved.
A new Task Force led by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) will provide a forum for exchanging views and information among knowledgeable stakeholders and experts. The Task Force will seek to find a degree of common vision and a better understanding of how the sector should evolve at a time when the European institutions are concerned about its structure, its fragmentation and how the rules that govern it are implemented, as well as ongoing investment needs to modernise fixed and mobile networks.
TOPICS
The CEPS Task Force on the future of EU Electronic Communications will focus on the following questions:
- Do the EU’s Digital Compass goals correspond to the actual needs of EU consumers and businesses?
- Relative to actual needs, how far short are we on investment in fixed and mobile networks, and how might any shortfalls be addressed?
- What further measures – if any – would help to improve the cost-effectiveness of network deployment in the EU? How well have the measures taken to date functioned?
- What further measures – if any – might help to drive the wider adoption and use of data networks in the EU? What measures have been taken to date?
- How much more regulatory harmonisation is feasible, considering the inherently local and national character of fixed networks and, to a lesser degree, mobile networks?
- If scale economies are truly crucial, why are network operators not already attempting more cross-border mergers (which typically do not trigger competition concerns)?
- What are the policy implications of the continued evolution of networks and services – is the distinction between the network and the applications that run over it becoming less clear over time? If so, what are the implications?
METHODOLOGY
The Task Force’s core activities will consist of four closed door full day hybrid workshops (physical presence encouraged but not required) with a wide mix of stakeholders, leading to a Final Report that will summarise what has been discussed and provide recommendations for further action. The syllabus of the four workshops will be so structured as to cover, as much as possible, the full range of relevant issues.
Each workshop will be comprised of three sessions covering three inter-related sub-topics. Each of the sessions would begin with a keynote overview by a knowledgeable and neutral (as much as possible) expert, followed by open discussion among the stakeholder participants.
The main output at the end of the process will be a final Task Force report prepared by CEPS staff, to be shared with stakeholders before publication, and reviewed and commented on by a Scientific Committee comprised of independent academic experts. The report will try to present a common view but where necessary will also highlight aspects where the stakeholders agreed to disagree. Chatham House rules will govern all that is said in the workshops and the Final Report will also respect Chatham House Rules.
J. Scott Marcus, a CEPS Associate Senior Research Fellow whose expertise on these topics is widely recognised, will organise the Task Force and moderate the workshops. He will be assisted by other CEPS staff.
CEPS is well equipped to organise and lead this Task Force. We regularly organise research and policy exchanges among policymakers and stakeholders from across the EU and beyond. Our independence and objectivity are well established. As project coordinator, CEPS will manage the organisation of the meetings and will prepare and circulate the agendas together with key background materials in advance of each meeting. CEPS will also oversee the drafting and review of the Task Force Final Report (see the section ‘Task Force Principles and Rules’).
This Task Force generally follows CEPS’ standard Task Force methodology, adapted as appropriate to meet the needs of this topic (refer to Section 6 of the Prospectus ‘Task Force Principles and Rules’, available in the ‘Download’ section).
HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER?
To find more information about the objectives and functioning of the Task Force, please read the prospectus below. To express your interest, please fill the expression of interest form below and send it to leonie.kunze@ceps.eu.
