HAKOM at This Year's First BEREC Plenary Meeting

ZAGREB, 26 February 2016 - This year's first plenary meeting of BEREC (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications), was held in Rotterdam where main discussion topics were on network neutrality, international roaming and OTT (Over the Top) services. BEREC should develop guidelines for carrying out the duties by the regular authorities regarding monitoring, enforcement and transparency which will provide an open access to the Internet. BEREC guidelines are required for a consistent application of the TSM (Single Telecoms Market) regulations. Since the guidelines of BEREC must be finished by 30 August 2016, further steps on the most complex issues were agreed. Referring to the international roaming it has been agreed to publish BEREC Report on the wholesale roaming market as well as the BEREC guidelines on the application of the roaming regulation. This document represents a further step towards the implementation of a conversation at national call rates (Rome Like at Home - RLAH) from mid-June 2017.It has been approved that BEREC Report on the OTT services should be published as well.

Prior to the plenary meeting a workshop was held on network neutrality. The workshop was divided into two parts. In the first part, the representatives of economy and academia gave their opinion on the issue of network neutrality while in the second part the representatives of regulatory authorities discussed the most complex issues  representing an introductory discussion which was the subject to the plenary meeting.

The representatives of the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) were Mr. Domagoj Jurjević, Deputy President of the Council and Marko Čavlović, Deputy Director. This year BEREC is chaired by the German regulatory authority.

ABOUT HAKOM: HAKOM (www.hakom.hr) - Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries – ensures preconditions for a fair market competition, stable growth and environment for innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market. HAKOM protects users’ interests and the possibility of choice among various communications and postal services at affordable prices, defines sustainable competitive conditions for operators and service providers under fair conditions for return on investment, and provides support to economic growth, public services and the quality of life in the Republic of Croatia by using modern technologies. HAKOM’ strategic goals are: to promote regulation of the electronic communications and postal services market, to support growth of investments and innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market, to provide efficient use of limited resources, to accelerate the growth of broadband products and services, to provide affordable offers of communications and postal services, to provide protection and informing of users, to build an efficient and comprehensive information system, to define and implement efficient processes, and to acquire multi-disciplinary competencies in market regulation.