A Euro-Mediterranean Regulators Group (EMERG) workshop on financing universal service obligations was held last 11-12 October in Athens, hosted by the Greek national regulatory authority (EETT – Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission), with ANACOM serving as rapporteur.
The workshop’s aim was to debate the importance of a system to finance universal service obligations that do not distort competition in electronic communications markets. It also reviewed the various special taxes and duties imposed on electronic communication companies with respect to non-European EMERG members, compared to European standard frameworks meant to limit those special financial charges.
The gathering was attended by representatives from Egypt, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and Switzerland, as well as from the European Commission (EC) and New Approaches to Telecommunications Policy (NATP3-Regulaid) consultancy team. The next EMERG workshop is scheduled for 7-8 November 2012 in Istanbul; the theme topic is retail pricing.
