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Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and the Office

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The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and the Office were created within the recently approved reform of the EU Telecom rules to improve consistency of the EU regulatory framework. BEREC replaces the European Regulators Group (ERG) through which National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) exchanged expertise and best practice and gave opinions on the functioning of the telecoms market in the EU.

The mission of BEREC is to assist the Commission and the national regulatory authorities (NRAs) in the implementation of the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications, to give advice on request and on its own initiative to the European institutions and to complement at European level the regulatory tasks performed at national level by the regulatory authorities.

BEREC is made up of a Board composed of the heads of the 27 NRAs and is assisted by an Office. The Office is a Community Body managed by a Management Committee where all NRAs and the Commission are represented. The Office will be fully staffed and operational by end 2011. The location of BEREC Office is Rigla, Latvia, based on the Telecom Council decision of 31 May 2010.

BEREC's main tasks include:

to participate in consultations under the Single market consultation (Article 7) procedure;
to give opinions on cross-border disputes;
to disseminate best practice, assist NRAs, advise the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council, and assist the institutions and the NRAs in their relations with third parties;
to deliver opinions on draft recommendations and/or guidelines on the form, content and level of detail to be given in notifications, in accordance with Article 7b of Directive 2002/21/EC (Framework Directive);
to be consulted on draft recommendations on relevant product and service markets, in accordance with Article 15 of the Framework Directive;
to deliver opinions on draft decisions on the identification of transnational markets, in accordance with Article 15 of the Framework Directive;
to be consulted on draft measures relating to effective access to the emergency call number 112;
to be consulted on draft measures relating to the effective implementation of the 116 numbering range;
to deliver opinions on draft decisions and recommendations on harmonisation, in accordance with Article 19 of the Framework Directive;
to deliver opinions aiming to ensure the development of common rules and requirements for providers of cross-border business services.