RIGA, Latvia -- European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes has welcomed the decision of EU Telecoms Ministers today that the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC Office) will be based in Riga, Latvia. The timely setting up of this Office will allow BEREC to advise the EU institutions on their work to ensure a robust and competitive Single Telecoms Market will be important to further many of the actions foreseen by the Digital Agenda for Europe (IP/10/581). The BEREC Office will work closely with telecoms regulators and the Commission to ensure the further development of consistent regulatory practice in the telecoms sector across Europe.

Neelie Kroes said: "Today's decision is an important step towards our collective aim to create a Single Market for telecoms services. The expertise of BEREC will help us deliver the Digital Agenda for Europe and tackle the remaining obstacles to cross-border telecoms services for European businesses and citizens."

The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) is made up of the heads of the 27 national telecoms regulators and is assisted by an Office (seeSPEECH/10/15). The BEREC Office provides professional and administrative support to BEREC's work in assisting the Commission and national telecoms regulators on a wide-range of regulatory tasks, for example the Article 7 consultation process (see MEMO/09/539), the scope of the universal service provisions and Next Generation Access networks. BEREC will also give advice to other European institutions. In addition, the BEREC Office will collect and share information from national regulators and share best regulatory practice.

Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC)