Strengthening regional cooperation: BEREC hosts the Four-lateral Summit

On 29 September 2021, in Dubrovnik, Croatia, regulators from various world regions gathered together at the Four-lateral Summit. Representatives of BEREC, EaPeReg, REGULATEL and EMERG agreed that regulators play a crucial role in promoting competition to spur necessary investments by the sector. It also helps achieve coverage in commercially less attractive areas where there is little demand and the costs of rolling out the networks are relatively high. 

With challenges arising from the connectivity in the digital world, continual cooperation among regulators is crucial. Citizens and businesses can benefit from the digital economy, if these challenges are addressed at the regulatory level. 

“With all eyes on digital, we have a unique opportunity before us to connect the world.  Regulators are at the helm as architects of a digitally-empowered future for all, and we must collaborate across sectors to drive inclusive digital transformation,” emphasized Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in her keynote speech. 

The cooperation among the EU Member states is significant to achieve the targets of the digital transformation of the Union. Kamila Kloc, Deputy Director and Head of Unit at DG CNECT, European Commission, introduced the audience to the Digital Decade programme policy, pointing out the declaration of digital principles and national strategic roadmaps to pursue the digital targets at the national level. 

The summit delegates also agreed that there is a significant common benefit to be derived from a cooperative dialogue on common issues between regulators from Europe and other regions of the world – namely Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East, and Eastern Europe – as challenges and solutions are often similar. 
Summit participants recalled the cooperative principles enshrined at the Memoranda of Understanding already signed between BEREC and its counterparts from EMERG, EaPeReg and REGULATEL, recognising the common interest in renovating the activities included in it. Building upon already existent cooperative liaisons, the participants of the Summit recognised the benefit of promoting permanent initiatives of cooperation.