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ETNO:
When e-communications companies look for joint action and analysis regarding EU telecommunications policy, when EU decision makers need an insight into a key issue pertaining to the telecommunications industry, they turn to ETNO – the European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association in Brussels. At the forefront of all issues pertaining to the e-communications sector, ETNO has been a respected voice for the telecoms sector since 1992 and tracks the full range of public policy areas that shape Europe’s Information Society. The Association’s members generate an aggregate turnover of 210 billion euros annually and include all of Europe’s major telecom operators, within the EU and beyond. “ETNO welcomed the new telecom operators of Central and East Europe – and extended its membership to them – many years before the EU officially expanded in the same direction,” said Michael Bartholomew, ETNO’s Director. “It’s just one example of how we stay ahead of the curve.”
Keeping track of it all As major players in global markets and leaders in technological innovation, ETNO’s member companies are pivotal to the achievement of eEurope and the rollout of broadband. Their collective workforce of more than one million serves the majority of Europe's customers for fixed-line and mobile telephony, data communications and high-speed Internet access and services. Not surprisingly, the breadth of e-communications operations covered by its 41 members in 34 countries requires the Association to anticipate as much as possible regulatory developments along a wide front before they solidify into law. A large part of this task rests on a careful monitoring of policy debate and advance knowledge of upcoming issues. This means staying in touch with experts and forward-policy analysts in both EU decision-making circles and industry. ETNO does this daily. Regulatory intelligence-gathering demands close and regular talks with key EU decision-makers within the European Commission, Council of Ministers and the European Parliament – institutions where ETNO has long-established contacts. Indeed, the Association organises regular one-on-one meetings with Commission and Parliament officials at the earliest stages of regulatory developments. It also brings together its membership with each new EU Presidency to maintain dialogue and an ear for industry to policy debate influencing the shape and health of Europe’s all-important Information Society. ETNO’s Director cited a trenchant example. “A large number of member states have fallen behind the July 2003 deadline for implementing the EU's new telecoms regulatory framework,” said Mr Bartholomew. “They will catch up eventually, but the more important task for us is to keep an eye on how their national regulatory authorities interpret and apply it. We are not convinced this will be applied in a consistent manner across the EU, which raises concerns in our industry that regulation in certain markets will continue, contrary to the spirit of the package itself.” Expertise exchanges from A to Z To help avert such obstacles, ETNO member companies carefully monitor regulatory developments in their home markets and the potential impact – in terms of harmonisation and the investment climate – that EU proposals will have on the marketplace. Similarly, EU officials often turn to industry, and ETNO in particular, to gather opinion and expertise prior to drafting legislation. It can be a fruitful two-way exchange but it has to be methodically and meticulously organised, which brings us to one of the key coordinating roles that ETNO plays vis-a-vis its member companies. The Association functions as a platform for the exchange of information at the expert level between its members on the entire gamut of strategic developments affecting the sector. The focus of ETNO’s 16 working groups ranges across horizontal policy, such as implementation of the EU's regulatory package and general investment conditions for the roll-out of broadband, down to more narrow but critical issues. These include fraud control, data protection, health and mobile phones, e-commerce, e-government services, numbering, Internet governance, frequencies and network security, not to mention socio-environmental topics such as sustainable growth, corporate social responsibility and guidelines on teleworking. Achieving consensus is not always easy, but once accomplished, an ETNO working group’s common position carries weight with EU policymakers because they know it represents the majority opinion of Europe’s e-communications industry. In a word, through its expert groups ETNO functions as a policy bridge between the bulk of Europe’s telecommunications industry and EU decision-makers. Conclusion While ETNO is the logical meeting place for the sector on policy issues and a natural forum for networking, it has never lost sight of its primary target: keeping EU policy and regulations balanced and proportional to the intended goal. “Regulation at the EU level should be implemented coherently across the Union, in a non-discriminatory and technologically-neutral manner,” said Mr Bartholomew. “That may be self-evident, but it is often too easy for policymakers to forget that the influence of Europe's telecoms policy extends far beyond its own sector and well beyond the EU's borders. Ours is a global industry whose information impact – as a pillar for all other industrial sectors – is crucial to economic growth in general.” He added: “As for any industry, if there has to be regulatory intervention, we want it to be predictable, fair and based on the level-playing-field idea which is the guiding rationale for the EU’s whole internal market. Only this combination of principles will encourage investment and a rapid development of e-society and all the benefits it will bring to society at large.” You can find more information on ETNO at www.etno.be Please send us your comments on this article. |
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