Europe needs more competition and investment for connectivity and communication services.

DIGITALEUROPE welcomes that the creation of a first-rate digital infrastructure and the timely deployment of 5G across Europe are on the top of the EU political agenda, including at the highest political level as shown by last week’s European Council Conclusions.

DIGITALEUROPE appreciates the call from national leaders last week for allowing sufficient resources and time to finalize the upcoming interinstitutional negotiations on the Electronic Communications Code.

We urge the co-legislators to bring the current texts on the negotiating table back in line with the original objectives.

1. Guarantee a clear and consistent regulatory framework to foster infrastructure-based competition and create investment incentives for all players.

2. Increase coordination on the availability and management of spectrum, under transparent and consistent rules. This is an essential prerequisite for 5G deployment.

3. Take an innovation-friendly and forward-looking approach to digital communication services, including for M2M and Internet of Things.

In both the Council and European Parliament’s positions, there are too many gaps between the abovementioned principles and the original objectives of the Commission’s proposal. It is therefore crucial that negotiations are not rushed and that the co-legislators find the necessary compromises to re-align the Code with its key objectives, thereby enabling the industry to jointly deliver 5G and to make the gigabit society a reality.

A hasty conclusion of the EECC discussions could risk rolling back important changes that would have made the regulation more targeted, proportionate and focused. The ambition of the EU heads of state, to be a leader and not a laggard in 5G and the Gigabit Society, will struggle to reach its potential if we stick with the status quo.