Ahead of a meeting of EU telecoms ministers (27 November), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is calling on EU member states to launch negotiations as soon as possible with the European Parliament on the net neutrality provisions in the Single Telecoms Market proposal.

As highlighted in an open letter co-signed by the EBU last month, an agreement on a European approach to this crucial issue “would provide certainty for providers of innovative online content, applications and services, enhance transparency for end-users and boost consumers trust in the Internet”.  

The EBU is concerned that the momentum to date will be lost if decisions on net neutrality are postponed to a completely new legislative process that may take years to complete.

EBU Head of European Affairs Nicola Frank said: “We should not forget that the main goal of setting EU wide rules on net neutrality is to help us move towards a true digital Single Market. While an approach based on principles can facilitate a consensus, it should not distract policymakers from adopting effective legislative safeguards to protect the 'open internet'. Clear rules on how internet traffic is managed and when exactly traffic management is justified are key in this respect.

While calling on the Italian EU Presidency not to delay discussions on net neutrality, the EBU is urging member states not to water-down the proposals on the table and to move closer to the robust position adopted by the European Parliament in April 2014.   

Nicola Frank added: “Provisions should be clear and explicit and refrain from leaving the door open to various interpretations at national level. We call the EU member states to push for a wider non-discrimination clause, which clearly prevents internet access service providers from discriminating against specific content and services.”