BEREC: Open Internet Regulation is not an obstacle in implementing EU sanctions to block RT and Sputnik

In order to provide clarity regarding the measures by the EU to amend Regulation 833/2014 in order to prohibit broadcasting or distribution of any content by Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik within the EU, BEREC emphasizes that the Open Internet Regulation allows internet access service providers to take traffic measures to block specific content, applications or services in order to comply with Union legislative acts. The amendment of Regulation 833/2014 is a legislative act that falls within the scope of the exceptions in Article 3(3) of the Open Internet Regulation.

“To enable a swift implementation of the sanctions, we want to make clear that there are no obstacles in the net neutrality rules to comply with the measures. This means that BEREC member NRAs can facilitate internet access service providers to comply with the measures by the EU,” BEREC Chair Annemarie Sipkes states.

BEREC is committed to providing assistance to National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) on technical issues that may arise.

In the coming days, BEREC will coordinate with European associations of operators and the European Commission regarding further steps.