The European Telecoms NRAs have launched an internal reflection regarding the impact of digitalisation on the way to best regulate.
"Online is not a sector"
One of the serie of events gathered IRG* and EPRA* to analyse concrete examples of cooperation at different stages between different sectorial regulators.
The webinar, was jointly chaired by Maria Donde, EPRA Senior Vice-Chairperson, and Rainer Schnepfleitner, IRG Vice-Chair, and moderated by Philippe Defraigne and Michèle Ledger (Cullen International).
Some of the outstanding Keynote Speakers were Kate Davies (Ofcom - UK), Christophe Cousin (CSA - FR) and Antonio de Tommaso (AGCOM - IT). The Webinar counted also with concrete experiences presented by Celene Craig (BAI - IE), Rebecca Parman (MPRT - SE), Persa Lampropoulou (NCRT - GR) and Pascale Raulin-Serrier (CNIL-FR).
Some of the key take- aways of the session were:
- Online is not a sector: Reinforced cross-sectorial cooperation between regulators at the national and European levels, is a must considering the challenges for regulation posed by the changing online ecosystems.
- Consider the users' experience: citizens do not see any distinction between sectors. This points to the benefits of pooling common research, publications and jointly regulatory approaches and strategies.
- Willingness is Key: There is a lot to be done on a volontary basis. If there is a why there is a how.
- Institutional design: Some structural elements, such as light contracts or MoUs ( Memorandum of Understanding) listing common objectives for regulatory cooperation can be really helpful. Ultimately, having dedicated staff is key to success and effectiveness.
- Multistaker engagement: Regulatory cooperation also greatly benefits from collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders including the industry, academia and governments.
The conclusions of the webinar were highly enlightening for all participants. The New Regulatory Era is open!
*IRG: The independent Regulators Group is a forum set up in 1997, to share experiences and best practices amongst European Telecoms Regulatory Authorities . IRG is comprised of 37 European Telecoms NRAs (EU Members, UK, EEA/EFTA countries and the EU candidate countries)
*EPRA: The European Platform of Regulatory Authorities is a forum for informal discussion and exchange of views between regulatory authorities in the broadcasting field in Europe. EPRA is comprised of 55 audiovisual regulators from 47 countries in wider Europe.