The European Commission adopted a package of three measures on 11 September 2013. In addition to the proposal for a regulation governing the internal market for telecommunications, which requires the consent of the European Parliament and the European Council, it includes the Commission's notification on a single market for telecommunications as well as a recommendation for the harmonisation of accounting methods and non-discrimination requirements for wholesale products.
On the one hand, the draft regulation may contain positive elements that could improve the competitiveness of the sector in the long term, in particular the proposals for closer coordination of frequency allocation and the rules for frequency auctions. On the other hand, though, it is difficult to see how the investment capacity of the telecommunications industry should be improved by measures that have a direct negative effect on the revenues of network operators. This applies, for example, to the planned rules for roaming and international calls. The same applies to those provisions that entail additional costs and further regulate and limit the freedom of contract, such as stricter requirements for customer protection. Such measures would result in additional regulatory uncertainty for investments that are so urgently needed in this sector.