The Broadband Cost Reduction Directive aims to facilitate and incentivise the roll-out of high-speed electronic communications networks by lowering the costs of deployment with a set of harmonised measures.
The Commission is carrying out an evaluation of the current measures under the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive and an impact assessment of a new Commission legislative proposal.
This public consultation aims to gather stakeholders’ views on the implementation of the Directive.
The public consultation is open from 02 December to 02 March 2021.
You may access the online consultation on the following address: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/BCRDSurvey_2020.
The evidence gathered so far by the Commission, including the report on the implementation of the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive and the continuous monitoring of its implementation in the Member States, gives rise to the need for the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive to be evaluated and possibly revised. At the same time, the revised instrument should adapt to recent and current technological, market and regulatory developments and help foster a more efficient and fast deployment of more sustainable very high capacity networks, including fibre and 5G, ensuring alignment with the European Electronic Communications Code and contributing to greening the Information and Communication Technology sector as part of the European Green Deal.
The Commission published an inception impact assessment on 19 June 2020, informing citizens and stakeholders about the Commission's plans to review the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive.
Views are sought from electronic communications operators, other network operators, physical infrastructure operators, national authorities dealing with the tasks established in the Directive (permit granting, dispute resolution, single information point, etc.), citizens, consumer associations, civil society organisations, businesses and experts.
The review of the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive is part of the actions announced in the Commission 2020 Work Programme and in the Communication on Shaping Europe’s Digital Future, which stressed that, for digital infrastructure and networks alone, the EU has an investment gap of EUR 65 billion per year. Moreover, adequate investments at EU, national and regional levels are necessary to achieve the EU 2025 connectivity objectives and a Gigabit Society in Europe.
A summary of the results of the consultation will be published one month after the consultation closes.