The chairman of ANACOM's Management Board, Fátima Barros, has been elected to chair the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) in 2015 - the first time this top post has been held by a woman.
To ensure continuity, Mrs Barros will serve as a Vice Chair on the BEREC Board in 2014, and then again in 2016.
ANACOM's Chairman was elected last week in Budapest by her counterparts at BEREC, representing the 28 European Union regulators that make up the Body; her election reflects an appreciation of the quality, timeliness and importance of the work that has been done at BEREC and the Portuguese regulator's solid reputation and prestige among international institutions.
The appointment puts ANACOM and Portugal at the centre of the European regulatory process, providing an opportunity for more direct influence, since BEREC engages in cooperation with EU communications regulators; issues opinion when the European Commission has queries or concerns about market regulation measures adopted by Member States; and assists the European Commission, the Council, the European Parliament and national regulators upon request. BEREC's Chair also represents the Body at various forums, including before European institutions, stakeholders and other regulatory authorities.
As BEREC Chair, Mrs Barros will also be responsible for formulating and implementing BEREC's 2015 work programme, and for convening and chairing the plenary meetings of the Board of Regulators.
At the same Election, Fátima Barros was also elected to chair BEREC's Management Committee, the governing body that oversees the BEREC Office.
Mrs Barros will also take over as chair of the Independent Regulators Group (IRG), an association under private Belgian law, which brings together the electronic communications regulators of the 28 EU Member States and of the European Economic Area (EEA) and also of EU candidate countries.
This is the first time that a woman has held this important position.
Göran Marby from the Swedish Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) will take over BEREC's chair in 2014.
