European developments June 2016

EU Referendum result: BBC News reported on the UK technology sector’s reaction to the vote to leave the European Union. PublicTechnology reported on the priorities for government set out by TechUK, which represents UK technology companies: its recommendations included maintaining access to the single market, the importance of retaining and attracting talent and the need to maintain secure international data flows and protections. The impact of the result on cyber security in the UK was also a focus of coverage: see ABIresearch, the International Business Times and InfoSecurity Magazine.

Digital Single Market developments: The European Commission published the results of two Eurobarometer surveys on the use of online platforms by consumers and SMEs. These include online marketplaces, search engines, payment systems, social media and video and content-sharing sites. The Commission also published two new infographics on online platforms and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD); see this previous post for more background on the Digital Single Market.

Next generation access (NGA): The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) opened a consultation on the findings of its new report Challenges and drivers of NGN roll-out and infrastructure competition. While extending the rollout of next generation access (NGA) services is a desirable and common objective across Europe, the type and speed of rollout varies considerably. The report analyses the main challenges and drivers going forward, including competition, supply side and demand side factors, as well as regulatory considerations. Reuters reported that the European Union is considering relaxing rules forcing telecoms companies to open up their networks if they show willingness to co-invest with rivals in superfast broadband, based on remarks by Guenther Oettinger, EU Digital Commissioner. The Commission also launched a call for tenders for a study to monitor the price of retail fixed broadband offerings for consumers.

Other developments this month:

• The European Commission announced its vision for how European standard setting should evolve in the light of technological developments, political priorities and global trends.
• The Commission, together with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft, published a code of conduct to combat the spread of illegal hate speech online in Europe.
• Out-Law reported that standardised cloud contract terms, including for service level agreements, have been developed as part of the SLALOM initiative supported by the European Commission. Also see this announcement from the Cloud Industry Forum.