A PYMNTS Company

EU: Telecoms chiefs back overhaul of competition law

By  |  December 1, 2019

The telecoms sector has thrown its weight behind the new European Commission’s plan to create industrial champions and overhaul its approach to competition policy,reported The Financial Times. 

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    A letter signed by the chief executives of some of Europe’s largest telecoms companies states that they would support the move to provide Europe with an “industrial policy for digital leadership” which could provide a boost for the struggling sector in its battle with giant US technology companies. 

    According to the FT, the move is a signal of support for the political priorities set out by Ursula von der Leyen, the new president of the European Commission, and Thierry Breton, the former France Télécom chief executive who has been appointed as commissioner for the internal market.

    The letter will be published ahead of a meeting in Brussels on Monday between Vestager, the EU’s antitrust chief who now oversees EU digital policy in addition to her competition responsibilities, and powerful telecoms figures including Tim Höttges, chief executive of Deutsche Telekom, and Stéphane Richard, head of Orange.

    The heads of the telecoms companies said they wanted to work with the commission to “turn ambition into reality”. “This requires a stable and sustainable regulatory environment at home, but also fair and balanced rules for competing with global players,” the letter said. It also called for the commission to “actively address the fragmented European telecom market” by encouraging companies to build more national and cross-border scale in telecom infrastructure.

    Full Content: Financial Times

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.