Europaudvalget 2015-16
Rådsmøde 3469 - Transport, tele og energi
Offentligt
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Council of the
European Union
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(OR. en)
EN
PRESSE 29
PR CO 28
OUTCOME OF THE COUNCIL MEETING
3469th Council meeting
Transport, Telecommunications and Energy
Telecommunications issues
Brussels, 26 May 2016
President
Henk Kamp
Minister for Economic Affairs of the Netherlands
PRESS
Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 6319 / 6319 Fax: +32 (0)2 281 8026
[email protected] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press
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 Rådsmøde nr. 3469 (transport, telekommunikation og energi) den 26. maj 2016 - Bilag 1336881:
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CONTENTS
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ITEMS DEBATED
Opening the 700 MHz frequency band for mobile broadband ............................................................ 3
Review of EU telecoms rules ............................................................................................................... 4
Any other business ............................................................................................................................... 5
–
–
–
–
Web accessibility ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Network and information security ........................................................................................................................... 5
Developments in internet governance ..................................................................................................................... 5
Incoming presidency's work programme in the field of telecommunications ......................................................... 5
OTHER ITEMS APPROVED
none
1

Where declarations, conclusions or resolutions have been formally adopted by the Council, this is indicated
in the heading for the item concerned and the text is placed between quotation marks.
 
Documents for which references are given in the text are available on the Council's Internet site
(http://www.consilium.europa.eu).
 
Acts adopted with statements for the Council minutes which may be released to the public are indicated by
an asterisk; these statements are available on the Council's Internet site or may be obtained from the Press
Office.
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 Rådsmøde nr. 3469 (transport, telekommunikation og energi) den 26. maj 2016 - Bilag 1336881:
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ITEMS DEBATED
Opening the 700 MHz frequency band for mobile broadband
The Council adopted a general approach on a draft decision on the
use of the 470-790 MHz
frequency band in the EU.
The proposal aims to respond to the ever greater demand for mobile
internet access by making the 700 MHz band (694-790 MHz) available for wireless broadband
services in Europe by 2020. The coordinated reallocation of the bandwidth will be underpinned by
harmonised technical conditions.
Another objective of the proposal is to safeguard conventional television services by giving
broadcasting services priority in the sub-700 MHz band (470-694 MHz).
The general approach adopted is the Council's position for negotiations with the European
Parliament.
For details, see press release:
Freeing up 700 MHz band for mobile: Council agrees its position
Council general approach on the use of the 470-790 MHz frequency band
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 Rådsmøde nr. 3469 (transport, telekommunikation og energi) den 26. maj 2016 - Bilag 1336881:
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Review of EU telecoms rules
The Council held a policy debate on a critical part of the
digital single market strategy,
the
revision of the EU telecoms regulatory framework.
The aim of the debate was to provide
guidance for the Commission, which will present related proposals in the autumn.
Ministers expressed their support for the overarching
objective of the framework review:
to set
the right conditions for reliable, high-capacity and affordable connectivity. Adequate digital
infrastructure was seen as the backbone for a modern connected society and economy.
Ministers agreed that revised rules on
operators' access to networks
should provide incentives for
investment in infrastructure and drive competition between operators.
Several ministers thought that the current tool for determining the need for market intervention, the
notion of 'significant market power', was generally working well but that more flexibility was
needed to take into account the different characteristics of different regions. Co-investment or state
aid could be a solution when it comes to finding extra funding for building up infrastructure in rural
areas.
Some delegations said that fast internet access should be included in the universal service obligation
when those rules are revisited.
A large number of ministers called for smarter regulation. There should be regulation only where
there is a clear need for it and it should not create any unnecessary financial burden.
As regards
spectrum management,
member states considered the current framework largely
adequate. They want to maintain flexibility to adapt their licence conditions and auction design to
national circumstances and preferences. Further coordination could be achieved by sharing
information and best practice, for example.
Member states were in favour of creating a more level playing-field between traditional
telecommunication services and communication services offered over the internet ('over-the-top
services').
The idea would be to have comparable rules for comparable services.
They prefer to use horizontal rules wherever these offer sufficient safeguards, for instance to
address privacy concerns. In such cases sector-specific rules can be removed. However, they were
cautious about any automatic extension of rules to over-the-top players, as this could stifle
innovation. Regulating these new services requires careful analysis and a case-by-case approach.
Presidency background document
Amsterdam meeting 20 April 2016 on revision of telecoms rules
(presidency website)
Digital single market for Europe
EU telecoms rules
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 Rådsmøde nr. 3469 (transport, telekommunikation og energi) den 26. maj 2016 - Bilag 1336881:
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Any other business
–
Web accessibility
The presidency reported on the endorsement of the deal on the first EU-wide rules on the
accessibility of websites and mobile apps. The agreement with the European Parliament was
confirmed by member states' ambassadors on 25 May. The presidency called on ministers to ensure
a rapid and ambitious transposition of the directive.
See also:
Web and app accessibility: member states approve EU-wide rules
(25 May 2016 press
release)
–
Network and information security
The presidency briefed ministers on the draft directive on network and information security, on
which the Council adopted its position at first reading on 17 May. The European Parliament is
expected to vote in plenary in early July, in which case the directive could enter into force in
August. The presidency stressed the importance of active cooperation between EU countries to
improve the EU's cyber-resilience and to enhance the overall trust of citizens in the digital world.
See also:
EU-wide cybersecurity rules adopted by the Council
(17 May 2016 press release)
–
Developments in internet governance
Commissioner Oettinger briefed ministers on the latest developments in internet governance and
said that the next meeting of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) would be
held on 9 and 10 June. He underlined the Commission's commitment to continue representing the
interests of the EU and its member states.
–
Incoming presidency's work programme in the field of telecommunications
The incoming Slovak presidency presented its
telecommunications work programme
for the second
half of 2016. The next Telecommunications Council meeting is planned for 2 December 2016.
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 Rådsmøde nr. 3469 (transport, telekommunikation og energi) den 26. maj 2016 - Bilag 1336881:
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OTHER ITEMS APPROVED
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