Retningslinjer for transeuropeiske telekommunikasjonsnettverk

Ansvarlig departement: Fornyings-, administrasjons- og kirkedepartementet

Sakstype: Forordning

Behandlende organ: Europaparlamentet og Rådet: behandler nye forslag

Saksområde: IT, telekom og medier: telekommunikasjonstjenester (del av EØS-avtalens vedlegg 11)

BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsforslaget, engelsk utgave)

This initiative is anchored in the Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth [1], which put digital infrastructures at the forefront as part of the flagship initiative "Digital Agenda for Europe" [2]. It underlined the need to ensure the roll-out and take-up of broadband for all, at increasing speeds, through both fixed and wireless technologies, and to facilitate investment in the new very fast open and competitive internet networks that will be the arteries of a future economy. The EU has set itself ambitious targets in terms of broadband roll-out and take up by 2020.

On 29 June 2011, the Commission adopted the Communication "A Budget for Europe 2020" on the next multi-annual financial framework (2014-2020) [3], which proposes the creation of a Connecting Europe Facility to promote the completion of priority energy, transport and digital infrastructures with a single fund of EUR 40 billion, out of which EUR 9.2 billion are dedicated to digital networks and services.

Purpose of the proposal
The purpose of this Regulation is to establish a series of guidelines covering the objectives and priorities envisaged for broadband networks and digital service infrastructures in the field of telecommunications in the context of the Connecting Europe Facility.

The guidelines identify in annex projects of common interest for the deployment of broadband networks and digital service infrastructures. These projects shall contribute to improving the competitiveness of the European economy including small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), promote the interconnection and interoperability of national networks as well as access to such networks and support the development of a Digital Single Market. They shall be eligible for EU financial support under the instruments available under the Regulation on Connecting Europe Facility which accompanies this Regulation.

The approach in this Regulation, is to aim for the removal of bottlenecks which hinder the completion of the Digital Single Market i.e. providing connectivity to the network and access, including across borders, to an infrastructure of public digital services. The blockages in operational terms for the telecom networks, in contrast to e.g. financing a ring-road around a capital city which is essential for fluidity in a transport corridor, concern both supply-side and demand side aspects. For the supply side, the limitations relate to a strong degree of market failures and the concomitant weak business cases for investment in broadband networks and delivery of essential public interest services (e.g. eHealth, eIdentity, eProcurement and their cross-border interoperability). On the demand side, the Digital Single Market with its considerable growth potential relies on all citizens being connected to digital networks.

The Connecting Europe Facility aims at using innovative financial instruments to incentivise infrastructure investment by reducing investment risk and providing longer-term financing for both alternative and incumbent investors. Innovative financial instruments provide an important leverage effect on private and other public investment while still relying on market mechanisms. Where the business case for infrastructure investment is particularly weak the Connecting Europe Facility also foresees the possibility to offer co-financing via grants. In the field of broadband networks, actions contributing to projects of common interest in the area of broadband shall support investments in networks capable of achieving, by 2020, the Digital Agenda for Europe targets of universal coverage at 30Mbps; or having at least 50% of households subscribing to speeds above 100Mbps. A balanced portfolio of 30 and 100 Mbps projects will be created and due account should also be taken of Member States' investment needs which are indicatively assessed to be up to 270 billion €.

For the digital service infrastructure, the bottlenecks in terms of service deployment within interoperable frameworks are addressed through direct grant schemes, in certain cases with high co-funding rates as there are no natural owners of a European interoperable service infrastructure. Indeed, neither single Member States, nor private investors would ensure service deployment within interoperable frameworks. The EU added value is thus high.

Projects of common interest in the field of digital service infrastructures as listed in the Annex include trans-European high-speed backbone connections for public administrations, cross– border delivery of eGovernment services based on interoperable identification and authentication (e.g. Europe-wide electronic procedures: to set up a business; for cross-border procurement, e-Justice, cross-border eHealth services); enabling access to public sector information, including digital resources of European heritage, data.eu and multilingual resources; safety and security (safer internet and critical service infrastructures) and smart energy services. Projects of common interest may also include the operation of electronic public services implemented under other Community programs such as the ISA program (“Interoperability solutions for European public administrations”).

Actions contributing to projects of common interest shall be eligible for EU financial support under the instruments available under the Regulation establishing the Connecting Europe Facility. The present proposal is therefore to be seen in conjunction with the proposal for that Regulation. The Regulation also stipulates the criteria for the identification of new projects of common interest, on the basis of the Commission's assessment of changing political priorities, technological developments or the situation in the relevant markets.

1 COM(2010) 2020.
2 COM(2010) 245.
3 COM(2011) 500/I final and COM(2011) 500/II final (Policy Fiches).