The first meeting of the RSPG working group on the European Electronic Communications Code (RSPG EECC) was held last 9 May in Budapest. This WG co-chaired by France (ANFR - Agence Nationale des Fréquences), Hungary (NMHH - National Media and Infocommunications Authority) and Germany (Ministry of Transportation and Digital Infrastructure) was set up in the beginning of the year. The aim during this period in which the new Directive, commonly called the Code (Electronic Communications Code), is approaching its implementation phase, is to identify new tasks for the RSPG to undertake and also to propose actions needed to achieve them (e.g. changes to the rules of procedure (RoP) and to the decision establishing the RSPG, identification of new items to include in the group’s working programme and adjustment of the peer review to the rules envisaged in the Code).
The group’s composition very much resembled that of its predecessor in charge of monitoring matters involving spectrum in the scope of the review of the new regulatory framework, preparing the RSPG’s positions on the subject and enabling debate at technical level with a view to aligning positions at the level of the Council of the European Union (EU). Participants in this meeting included representatives of the European Commission (EC) and delegates representing nine member states, including Portugal (ANACOM).
At this first meeting, based on the Code version available in this final negotiation phase (regarding spectrum it is hoped that no major changes will eventually be made), the group proceeded to examine the changes relevant for the RSPG, with the following standing out:
- exhaustive analysis of the EECC articles with impact on the RSPG, the aim being to identify new tasks and those that will remain with no changes;
- discussion of the working plan to present at the next RSPG plenary meeting, which will impose demanding targets to contribute in due course to the proposed review of the RSPG’s basic documents, which the EC will be responsible for carrying out;
- debate and completion of this group’s presentation for the RSPG stakeholders workshop scheduled for the following week.
The next meeting of RSPG EECC was scheduled for 20 June in Brussels. Additional meetings were also envisaged to finish the proposed work in time for the RSPG meeting in October.
