At its plenary meeting on 1 October 2026, the Board of Regulators elected Michel Van Bellinghen, Chair of the BIPT Council (Belgium), as the BEREC Chair for 2028. In the year preceding the chairmanship, he will join the Mini-Board and work closely with the incoming Chair, Alejandra de Iturriaga Gandini (CNMC, Spain), helping to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities and continuity in BEREC’s work. This will be the second time Michel Van Bellinghen serves as BEREC Chair.

BEREC leadership in 2027

BEREC’s leadership is centred on the Chair, supported by the Vice-Chairs. The Mini-Board, composed of the Chair, the Vice-Chairs and participants without voting rights, provides support for the Chair in carrying out their leadership responsibilities.

During the plenary meeting, the Board of Regulators also elected the Vice-Chairs for 2027. Klaus Steinmaurer (RTR, Austria) and Karol Krzywicki (UKE, Poland) will support the Chair in preparing and coordinating BEREC’s work, including plenary discussions, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement.

Armer Juka (AKEP, Albania) was elected as the representative of participants without voting rights to the Mini-Board for 2027. In addition, the incoming and outgoing BEREC Chairs – Michel Van Bellinghen and Marko Mismas (AKOS, Slovenia) – will also serve as Vice-Chairs.

The Vice-Chairs have two main functions. First, the incoming Chair – or, if necessary, one of the Vice-Chairs – may take over the role of Chair when the Chair is not in a position to perform their duties. Second, each Vice-Chair supports and follows the work of a specific cluster of BEREC Working Groups. The BEREC Chair decides the allocation of these clusters. In the year preceding the chairmanship, the incoming Chair is also responsible for preparing the annual work programme.

What the BEREC Chair does

The BEREC Chair plays a central role in guiding BEREC’s work during the chairmanship year. The Chair leads plenary meetings, represents BEREC externally, helps build consensus among national regulatory authorities and oversees the implementation of the annual work programme. The Vice-Chairs support the Chair in carrying out these responsibilities and help ensure continuity between the annual chairmanships. Together, the Chair and Vice-Chairs contribute to the effective functioning of BEREC and to the achievement of its objectives.

The BEREC Chair is responsible for BEREC’s external relations and for representing its interests. The Chair informs members about external activities, reports on their outcomes and shares any relevant materials. When invited, the Chair also reports on the performance of BEREC’s tasks to the European Parliament and the European Commission. In addition, the BEREC Chair serves as Chair of the Mini-Board, convenes its meetings and informs the Board of Regulators about its activities.

Appointment process

The BEREC Chair is elected every year. To be nominated and elected as Chair, a candidate must be supported by at least four BEREC members, not including the candidate themself, and must have served for at least one year as Vice-Chair. Election requires the support of at least two-thirds of the Board of Regulators who vote in order to be elected. The Chair’s term of office is one year.

Similarly, every year, the Board of Regulators elects at least two Vice-Chairs from among its members for the following year.