Position Paper - Call for Evidence for an Evaluation / Digital Fitness Check

The EU’s Digital Fitness Check offers an opportunity to ensure that the digital rulebook remains coherent, innovation-friendly and effective for users. In our contribution to the consultation, we highlight the need for a future-proof telecom framework within the EU digital rulebook.

dIGITAL FITNESS CHECK

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Call for Evidence for an Evaluation / Digital Fitness Check (.pdf) Pink arrow pointing downwards at a pink horizontal line

In reviewing the EU’s existing digital laws, one thing must not be taken for granted: connectivity plays a vital role in enabling all citizens, businesses, and Public Administrations to participate fully in the digital economy, stay informed, and access essential services. As a result, the laws governing connectivity and the digital economy have a direct impact on Europe’s overall economic growth and social inclusion. Against this backdrop, we welcome the intention behind the Digital Omnibus as an important first step in addressing complexity across the digital acquis. However, the simplification agenda should more decisively address the legal uncertainty and the structural regulatory burdens that continue to weigh on Europe’s connectivity sector, in line with the Draghi recommendations on competitiveness.

Connect Europe and the GSMA’s shared position is built around three core principles:

  1. As part of the digital rulebook, a future-proof telecom framework must prioritise simplification and coherence for sustained innovation, moving towards horizontal regulation and, in particular repealing the ePrivacy Directive.

  2. Digital rules must move away from overlapping, sector-specific rules toward a coherent, horizontally structured regulation.

  3. Digital laws should empower users to make informed choices, fostering innovation and fair competition among providers through horizontal regulation.

Today, our sector is faced with a highly complex regulatory landscape1, with challenges related to overlapping rules and fragmentation that hinder the EU’s goal of a more competitive and innovative Europe. Effective regulation must strike the right balance between safeguarding individuals’ fundamental rights and enabling innovation and competitiveness.

This is particularly relevant regarding the ePrivacy Directive, as well as when considering the proposed Digital Networks Act (DNA) and the renewal of the Cybersecurity Act (CSA2).