Digital services shape our daily lives, from social media use to online shopping. While these activities seem effortless, the rapid evolution of technology presents significant challenges, particularly when it comes to ensuring sufficient protection for consumers. In recent years, fraudulent activities and misuse of numbering resources have increased significantly, impacting end users.

Exploring new solutions

European regulators constantly monitor the evolution of technology, assessing its impact on end users in order to achieve a better understanding and seek solutions to improve transparency and safety. On 21 May, BEREC will hold an external workshop that will explore possible solutions to ensure that end users can continue to have trust in electronic communications . Discussions with market players will help increase knowledge and find long-lasting solutions.

The external workshop on practical issues preventing number misuse and possible fraudulent activities will take place at the IRG Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, and online. For virtual attendance, the registration deadline is 19 May 2025, COB. Connection details will be shared with registered attendees ahead of the workshop.

Recent discussions and work

One of BEREC’s core strategic objectives is the empowerment of end users. In the last edition of the BEREC Stakeholder Forum on 1 April 2025, a panel discussion addressed the major challenges of the fast-developing digital market and how to ensure that end-user rights are upheld despite these rapid changes. Discussion topics focused on safeguarding these rights in the future.

In 2024, the End Users Working Group developed an Opinion on the market and technological developments and on their impact on the application of rights of end-users in the EECC (Article 123). European telecoms regulators stress that specific rules governing transparency, service quality and consumer rights must be reviewed periodically to ensure that consumer protection and empowerment remain at the forefront. BEREC calls for stronger collaboration between the national regulatory authorities in order to ensure that consumer protection is properly applied across the EU, thereby enhancing trust among consumers.