The legislative and institutional structure of EU electronic communications regulation

Abstract

The development of the Internal Market has been one of the European Union’s (hereinafter the ‘ EU greatest projects. The goal of the Internal Market is to increase economic prosperity among the EU’s Member States by reducing the barriers to trade and investment. The cornerstone s of the Internal Market are the Four Freedoms. These freedoms establish the free movement of people, services, goods and capital and are enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (hereinafter the 'TFEU'). With greater economic integration, Member States have begun to reap the benefits of increased trade and investment. With regards to the Internal Market, an important initiative for the Commission is the liberalisation and harmonisation of the electronic communications sector. This initiative promotes the free movement of communications services across the Member States. The communications sector has become a priority because an advanced communications infrastructure is necessary in order to develop a digital knowledge based economy. The Commission has identified the transition to such an economy as integral to the future economic and social prosperity of the EU.