A draft deal has been reached on new EU telecom rules to increase competition and cut prices for customers. This provides for a new pan-EU supervisory body, and allows integrated telecoms companies to be split up.

European Commissioner for Information society and media Viviane Redding referred to BEREC, the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications: “The Commission will in the future have a say on remedies imposed by national regulators together with BEREC. The Commission will be able to prevent individual national regulators going against the competitive principles of our single market.” The telecoms commissioner sees the splitting up of Britain’s former state-owned operator BT, to boost competition, as a model for others to follow. The package now needs the approval of the EU member states and full Commission. The European Parliament is likely to propose amendments, and is expected to vote on the final deal in May.

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