The Agency for Communications Networks and Services of the Republic of Slovenia was present at the 14th BEREC Stakeholder Forum aimed at shaping the future development of the European Digital Space. The annual event brought together stakeholders from the field of electronic communications, regulators, industry and other interested publics.
The morning part of the Forum featured substantive discussions with the heads of BEREC Expert Groups, who presented current projects and regulatory priorities for the coming period. Participants had the opportunity to exchange views directly on topical issues such as the development of gigabit networks, regulatory approaches under the Digital Networks Act, and challenges in the areas of competition, connectivity and digital transformation.
In the afternoon, BEREC representatives, including the Agency's Director and current BEREC Chair, Mr. Marko Mišmaš, BEREC's Chairperson and the current Chair of BEREC, answered a number of questions from stakeholders and presented the directions for further regulatory developments.
In the discussions in which the Agency took part, it was underlined that BEREC advocates the preservation of an open internet even in the context of the deployment of specialised services, and is already preparing additional guidelines, in particular in the context of 5G and network slicing. At the same time, some reservations were expressed about the proposed full harmonisation of consumer protection rules, as this could limit the ability of Member States to adapt to national specificities and existing protection mechanisms. In the development of future connectivity, it was stressed that all technologies - including satellite solutions - should meet common performance criteria. Satellite technologies can make an important contribution to the coverage of remote areas, but certain capacity differences remain which need to be duly taken into account in the design of regulation and in the monitoring of progress.
Discussions have also addressed the need to modernise the regulatory framework to keep pace with the evolution of the market from traditional structures to a more complex and competitive environment. In this context, BEREC advocates a broader set of regulatory tools, including a combination of existing and new approaches, to better reflect the realities of digital markets. In the area of network security and resilience, it was stressed that European solutions should also take due account of Member States' competences, in particular in the area of national security, and ensure a balance between centralised approaches and national needs.
The event also provided an opportunity for informal networking, which further contributed to a deeper dialogue between regulators and stakeholders. More information is available here .
