Completing the Single Market – Competitiveness, Competition & Connectivity:
The Future of Telecom Regulation in Europe
As the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union begins on 1 July 2025, the second half of the year is set to be pivotal for the future of the European telecommunications sector. With a clear focus on boosting EU competitiveness, the Danish Presidency has announced its ambition to reduce bureaucracy, counter overregulation, and drive forward strategic integration - particularly in sectors such as digital infrastructure and emerging technologies. These priorities resonate strongly with the current momentum for reform driven by the publication of the Draghi Report last year, especially in the telecommunications sector, which is already undergoing substantial scrutiny and transformation.
In parallel, the European Commission is advancing key legislative initiatives, including the forthcoming Digital Networks Act and the ongoing evaluation of the European Electronic Communications Code. These efforts aim to modernise the regulatory landscape, foster innovation, and reinforce the Union’s digital sovereignty. While these reforms are well-intentioned, the question remains: are they truly prioritising the right elements to complete the EU Single Market? And how can competitiveness, competition, and connectivity be meaningfully brought together?
By placing these questions at the forefront, the event “Completing the Single Market – Competitiveness, Competition & Connectivity: The Future of Telecom Regulation in Europe” aims to facilitate a timely public debate. Held shortly after the conclusion of the Call for Evidence on the Digital Networks Act on 11 July - and ahead of the expected draft later in the year - it offers a unique opportunity for an open and constructive dialogue.
This event will serve as a platform to examine how EU competitiveness and regulatory reform can be coherently aligned - advancing investment and innovation while preserving market diversity and ensuring fair competition in the telecommunications sector. It will explore what completing the Single Market truly means in practice. In this context, the event will provide space to critically reflect on the outcomes and implications of current political and legislative efforts, including those related to the revision of the European Electronic Communications Code, the update of the Relevant Markets Recommendation, and the potential impact of shifting the overall regulatory approach.
At the heart of the discussion is a shared commitment to building a resilient, innovative, and pluralistic telecommunications ecosystem. In this context, the event will also spotlight the contribution of companies that are playing a crucial role in deploying digital infrastructure, driving competition, and broadening consumer choice - yet often are underrepresented in EU-level strategic discussions. Their perspectives are essential to ensure that future policies and legislation reflect the full diversity and strength of the European telecom landscape.
Co-organised by VATM and ecta, the event will provide space for a forward-looking and evidence-based dialogue on the next phase of European telecom regulation - offering a more comprehensive view of how the sector can support the EU’s broader goals for competitiveness, connectivity, and digital leadership.
Agenda
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17h00 - Registration
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17h30 - Welcome:
- Luc Hindryckx, Director General, ecta
- Dr Frederic Ufer, VATM-Geschäftsführer
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17h40 - Keynote Speaker:
- Guillaume Loriot, Deputy Director-General for Mergers, DG-Competition, European Commission
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17h55 - 19h10 Panel discussion:
- Moderator: James Robinson, Senior Analyst, Assembly Research
- Panellists:
- Dr Kamila Kloc, Director, Directorate B, Digital Decade and Connectivity, DG-Connect, European Commission
- Valentin Popoviciu, VP Digi Romania SA | Executive Director Digi Communications N.V., ecta Chairman
- Katinka Clausdatter Worsøe, Attaché for Digitalisation, Permanent Representation of Denmark to the European Union
- Matthias Ecke, MEP, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
- Dr. Stephan Korehnke, Director Regulatory Affairs Vodafone Germany / Head of International Regulatory Affairs Vodafone Group
- Cláudio Teixeira, Senior Legal Officer, Digital Policy, BEUC
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19h10 Closing remark
- Luc Hindryckx, Director General, ecta
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19h15 Networking Reception
Venue
Rue de La Loi 75, Brussels, 1040, Belgium
The access to the event is also possible via the "Thon Passage " next to 18 rue Jacques de Lalaing
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| ecta, the european competitive telecommunications association (www.ectaportal.com), represents those alternative operators who, relying on the pro-competitive EU legal framework that has created a free market for electronic communications, have helped overcome national monopolies to give EU citizens, businesses and public administrations quality and choice at affordable prices. ecta represents at large those operators who are driving the development of an accessible Gigabit society, who represent significant investments in fixed, mobile and fixed wireless access networks that qualify as Very High Capacity Networks and who demonstrate unique innovation capabilities. |
