Brussels, 9 September 2024 ecta, the european competitive telecommunications association takes note of the Draghi Report and regrets its one-sided approach on telecoms, supporting explicitly and exclusively the vested interest of a few large incumbents and the objectives pursued by powerful lobby groups by proposing a recipe that, by its very nature, cannot unleash innovation and investment.

Luc Hindryckx, Director General of the european competitive telecommunications association said: “We fear that the Draghi report is based on a flawed evaluation of the European model^[1] and therefore entails the risk of coming at a high price for consumers, enterprises and public administrations and, furthermore, risks putting the EU’s competitiveness in the digital realm in jeopardy. Reducing competition always comes with a high price and does not foster innovation or investments. Let’s not forget that the so called big-tech companies are not the fruit of incumbents and all started from zero”

ecta, the european competitive telecommunications association places Europe’s global competitiveness at the forefront of its concerns. Recognizing the critical role of diverse players in the telecom sector, ecta advocates for an inclusive electronic communications industry that fosters innovation and empowers the entire European economy. In this dynamic digital landscape, embracing a variety of participants—both large and small—becomes essential. By nurturing diverse products and services, we unlock Europe’s innovative potential and ensure a robust and competitive marketplace.

For the past three decades, EU electronic communications regulation has delivered a unique European success story. Promotion of competitive markets, combined with effective ex-ante regulatory measures, are driving investments, positive innovation, and consumer benefits in telecoms, and will continue to do so in the future as the telecommunications sector stands as the linchpin of social and economic dynamics in the 21st century. Serving as the bedrock of social inclusion, it facilitates universal participation in the digital society by ensuring affordable connectivity for all.

Europe excels with respect to its global peers when it comes to combining the deployment of gigabit networks, their adoption by consumers and professional users, as well as affordability and inclusion. Europe, in addition, is well on track to meet the EU 2030 Digital Decade Objectives unfortunately all of these outstanding achievements risk being strongly eroded and endangered by the proposals envisaged in the Draghi Report.

^[1] https://www.ectaportal.com/news/ecta-press-releases/1706-ecta-responds-to-the-european-commission-s-white-paper-how-to-master-europe-s-digital-infrastructure-needs

Download the pdf here.

Download the full ecta contribution to the public consultation on the white paper here.

Download the ecta manifesto here.

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ecta members are united in their belief that an inclusive electronic communications sector, embracing a multitude of participants, both large and small, and nurturing a diverse array of products and services, is essential to empower the entire European economy and unleash its innovative potential in the digital realm. In other words, diversity in telecoms is essential to guarantee Europe’s Competitiveness. This is the key message that ecta and its members continuously promote.