BEREC launches public consultation on its Work Programme 2020

With a view to gather valuable inputs and have active stakeholder engagement in contributing to the draft document, today BEREC launched a public consultation on its annual Work Programme. It will last from 7 October until 6 November 2019.

The incoming Chair 2020 Dan Sjöblom (PTS, Sweden) invited stakeholders to submit their ideas for the Work Programme already in March 2019. During the initial call for inputs – together with National Regulatory Authorities and the BEREC Working Groups, stakeholders proposed 55 new topics. BEREC has assessed them and concluded that a number of proposals are important, however not feasible to be included in the work programme for the next year. BEREC plans to re-evaluate them again in the light of the Work Programme outline for 2021 and consequently to include in the final Work Programme. 

In 2020, BEREC will primarily focus on the important, mandatory projects, which cover the five strategic priorities of BEREC. The 5G implications continue to be a strong focus in the BEREC Work Programme, in particular the implications 5G may have on the ecosystem and consequently on regulation. Net Neutrality or Open Internet will remain an important focus for BEREC, with the update of the Net Neutrality Guidelines in the beginning of 2020.

The focus on consumer empowerment will continue and the welfare of end users will always be a key focus for BEREC. In line with its Strategy 2018-2020, BEREC will continue to play a very active role in assessing and promoting consumer empowerment and protection. Next year BEREC intends to produce guidelines on relevant quality of service parameters, including for the disabled end users..

In addition to the mandatory work, BEREC has an aim to develop its understanding on the future trends, such as a work on market and economic issues of Digital Platform Markets, the impact of 5G on regulation and security issues related to 5G implementation.

This final stage of the consultation on the BEREC Work Programme will also mark the first step in the work with the BEREC Medium Term Strategy, which is set to be reviewed next year.  The new BEREC medium term strategy will be the basis for future multi-annual work programmes from 2021 and beyond. To start this work a first call for inputs on what technical, market and regulatory developments will have an important impact on BEREC’s future work has been included in the consultation.

The incoming BEREC Chair will present the draft Work Programme 2020 during the annual BEREC Stakeholder Forum on
16 October in Brussels.  A special engagement with stakeholders’ session also is foreseen.  The participants will have an opportunity to ask questions directly to the BEREC Chair Jeremy Godfrey (ComReg, Ireland), BEREC Chair 2020 Dan Sjöblom and to the newly elected BEREC Chair 2021 – Michel Van Bellinghen (BIPT, Belgium).

BEREC Stakeholder Forum Agenda and registration