Telecommunications reforms in South East Europe

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how eventual membership of the European Union is influencing reforms in South East Europe, through legislation and institutions being brought into line with EU practice.

The article reflects the results of monitoring exercises conducted in the Balkans with data gathered from national regulatory authorities and ministries. The approach is comparative between the countries and with the existing EU member states.

Considerable progress has been made in the opening of markets, with the issuing of new licences and the introduction of regulatory measures to support new entrants. However, many obstacles remain to be overcome.

Determining the practical application of the legal provisions is not straightforward; there may be delays or questions of interpretation. Further work is required to determine how the changes are carried forward.

Further work will continue both by the authorities in South East Europe and in monitoring increased competition in mobile markets and the introduction of broadband, primarily using wireless technology.

Work on this region of Europe has been very limited, in part due to difficulties in gathering data.