Leading digital Europe: BEREC adopts Strategy 2026-2030

The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) has adopted a new five-year strategy based on core pillars considering market and technological developments, policy and legislative changes and institutional and international cooperation. In the coming years, BEREC will build its work on strategic priorities that continue to support a regulatory approach fostering connectivity, competition, open digital ecosystems, and end-user empowerment, while guiding the development of sustainable, secure and resilient digital networks.

The BEREC Strategy 2026-2030 updates, reviews and consolidates the previous three strategies (Strategy 2021 – 2025, the Medium-Term Strategy for relations with other institutions and the Medium-Term Strategy for International Cooperation) along with the Action Plan 2030. Collectively, these documents define BEREC’s objectives considering recent and anticipated market, technological and regulatory developments. To remain responsive to future developments, BEREC may revise the strategy ahead of 2030 if substantial regulatory changes occur, particularly in relation to its mandate and the upcoming review of the legal framework.

With the adoption of the BEREC Strategy 2026–2030, BEREC marks the start of a new strategic cycle to be implemented under a renewed mandate. Indeed, at this juncture, BEREC Chair Mr. Robert Mourik (COMREG) concludes his term and hands over the chairmanship to Mr. Marko Mišmaš (AKOS) for 2026.

BEREC Work Programme 2026

Next year, BEREC will continue focusing on supporting the expansion of gigabit broadband connectivity, supporting the rollout of 5G across all EU regions, and reinforcing end user empowerment in electronic communications. Moreover, BEREC will provide input and analysis on the forthcoming proposal of a Digital Networks Act (DNA). The Board of Regulators adopted the Work Programme 2026, which translates the strategic objectives into specific actions and deliverables for the coming year. The Work Programme 2026 builds on the mandatory tasks set out in the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) and anticipates work related to the forthcoming DNA. BEREC remains committed to fostering thoughtful and proactive debate, and to providing advice to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission on electronic communications and digital services. In the work programme BEREC also aims to enhance the consistent and harmonised application of regulation to develop the internal market further, exchange among NRAs, improve BEREC’s working methods and strengthen interaction with stakeholders.

Assessing the switching experience for end users

The switching process plays a crucial role in ensuring effective competition in electronic communications markets. Its efficiency, simplicity and transparency are essential for building end users’ trust. At the last plenary meeting, BEREC approved the draft BEREC Report on switching and termination of contracts for public consultation. The draft report examines the switching process in detail, outlining its implementation and the actions required to complete it. It also considers the main disincentives and challenges identified regarding the switching and contract termination. In addition, the document addresses the specific end-user rights that apply throughout the switching process. The stakeholders are invited to provide their feedback on the draft document by 20 January 2026.

Update of BEREC’s Broadband mapping Guidelines

To support the national regulatory authorities on the consistent application of geographical surveys of broadband network deployments acc. to Art. 22 EECC, BEREC has worked on the updates of the BEREC Guidelines on Geographical surveys of broadband network deployment. The draft document has been launched for public consultation and BEREC expects the stakeholders’ contributions by 9 February 2026. The update follows conclusions from BEREC’s implementation report published last year, which concluded that the Guidelines should be adjusted. The revised Guidelines aim to provide clearer guidance, foster greater harmonisation of approaches further, and improve the comparability of survey results across Member States.

Think before you click for it

In October, BEREC launched a digital fraud awareness campaign to inform European users about online risks and help them navigate the digital ecosystem safely. The campaign is running on our official social media platforms: LinkedIn, X and YouTube, complemented by information on our website and a podcast offering practical guidance on combating digital fraud. Through this initiative, BEREC encourages users to report incidents to national authorities and promotes cooperation between telecom operators, banks, online platforms and regulators to tackle digital fraud across Europe.

Upcoming BEREC events

In the first quarter of 2026, BEREC plans to hold a public workshop on the migration to fibre-optic networks and copper switch-off. The workshop will bring together stakeholders to discuss key challenges, including maintaining competitive dynamics in the market after the switch-off, addressing the needs of vulnerable or hesitant end-users, and review relevant proposals related to migration and switch-off provisions which may be set out in the EC’s draft Digital Networks Act (DNA). Further information on the date and format will be provided in due course.

BEREC will hold its annual Stakeholder Forum on 31 March 2026. The next edition of this signature event will feature the traditional informal Meet&Greet sessions with the Working Group Co-Chairs. At the Conference, the keynote speakers and panellists will discuss the 

evolution of the regulatory framework in light of the DNA proposal, EU initiatives supporting European technological development, and how to provide incentives to innovate and invest in connectivity to meet consumers’ preferences in a competitive market.

Public documents available online

A full list of BEREC’s public documents adopted at the 65th ordinary meetings (4-5 December 2025) can be found on the BEREC website. The presentation and video recording of the BEREC public debriefing will be uploaded shortly. BEREC’s 66th ordinary meetings will take place online on 12-13 March 2026. The next public debriefing will be held on 19 March 2026 and will take place online.

Note to Editor

BEREC promotes openness and transparency in its communications and is available for any further questions that you might have. If there are any other topics related to electronic communications that you would like to explore, we would be happy to assist you in any way we can. Contact us: [email protected].