MEPs will vote on new European telecoms reforms next week, and are likely to
throw out proposals for a Europe-wide telecoms regulator.
However, plans to force ISPs to reveal details of confidential data breaches
to their customers could be given the go-ahead.
One of the major changes to the EU's regulatory framework for electronic
communications was a proposal from Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Information
Society and Media, for the establishment of a new European Telecommunications
Market Authority.
The new body would oversee national telecoms regulators, including Ofcom in
the UK, and ensure that new legislation enacted by the European Parliament is
introduced across member states.
However, UK West Midlands MEP Malcolm Harbour, one of four
rapporteurs tasked with ushering in the new telecoms legislation, said:
"We did not like the centralised authority chosen by the EU parliament.
"We have proposed a body with more input from countries' own National
Regulatory Authorities so that all the regulators can work together with their
peers to resolve issues.
"That is a more logical solution. Viviane Reding was not that keen [on our
ideas], but has agreed to work with us."
Another major amendment to be voted on next week will be an e-privacy
proposal to make carriers and ISPs inform users about breaches of confidential
data.
Harbour said that there would be "a provision for National Regulatory
Authorities to produce an annual report detailing all data breaches and what has
been done about them".
The second reading of the EU regulatory reforms is scheduled for April 2009.
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