September 2005 RD224 - ETNO Reflection Document on the European Commission’s Communication "i2010 - A European Information Society for growth and employment"

 ETNO welcomes the new Commission strategy for the sector because it is both an ambitious and comprehensive plan. ETNO feels that the new i2010 initiative is an opportunity to undertake concrete policy initiatives to develop the long-term sustainability of the industry and its contribution to European competitiveness and welfare.

ETNO welcomes the new Commission strategy for the sector because it is both an ambitious and comprehensive plan. ETNO feels that the new i2010 initiative is an opportunity to undertake concrete policy initiatives to develop the long-term sustainability of the industry and its contribution to European competitiveness and welfare.

In this regard, a cornerstone for these policies is the improvement and simplification of the regulatory framework for both services and content

a) increasing consistency between existing frameworks
b) ensuring that the e-communication framework is implemented in a coherent, proportionate and investment-friendly manner,
c) achieving a major reduction of the scope of sector-specific intervention in the context of the review of the Commission Recommendation on relevant markets within the e-communications sector,
d) reshaping the legal framework in the 2006 Regulatory Review to meet the needs of an evolving market place, and
e) avoiding creating legal uncertainty for content-related services at the very moment when the ICT sector is fully engaged in rolling-out new added value broadband services.

ETNO hopes that the actions envisaged under the new initiative firmly place the ICT sector at the top of policy-makers’ agendas within the context of the renewed Lisbon Strategy and will help European institutions maintaining the momentum behind these actions over the coming years.

There is a clear need to boost the performance of the European ICT sector and to improve its competitive position at global level thereby strengthening those areas where the EU has a competitive advantage thanks to past initiatives and investments.

As far as R&D is concerned, ETNO supports the significant simplification of management and financial rules for the 7th Framework Programme. Moreover, ETNO is in favour of European Technology Platforms (ETPs) as they are the most efficient instrument in order to ensure research results transition to industry. Finally, ETNO shares concerns about the need to create an inclusive Information Society. ETNO is to some extent reluctant to public sector intervention in networks deployment if not clear criteria are met, and wants to highlight that public commitment in promoting broadband take-up should not lead to market distortions.