Brussels, Belgium — The European Parliament, Commission and the Council of Ministers agreed on a compromise last night on the Telecoms Single Market Regulation. The deal in principle would see an end to roaming in the European Union in 2017 and the introduction of first-ever, EU-wide net neutrality rules in 2016.
The Computer and Communications Industry Association welcomes the deal, which still needs to be approved by the European Parliament’s plenary. The following can be attributed to CCIA Europe Vice-President James Waterworth:
“Rules to ensure businesses and consumers benefit from an open Internet are welcome. Ensuring that consumers and businesses can access the content and services of their choice from a device of their choosing will be economically beneficial for the whole economy.”
“The agreement is right to allow for traffic management and specialised services, but also right to prohibit discrimination and ensure that traffic is treated in a non-discriminatory manner.”
“However, the rules will only be worth something if effectively supervised by national telecoms regulators. This will be the critical next step.”