OPTA publishes Focus 2009
OPTA has published its Focus 2009, whose objective is “to indicate what aspects it will be focusing on as part of its regulatory work in 2009”.
OPTA, the Dutch telecoms and postal regulator, has published its “Focus 2009″, whose objective is” to indicate what aspects it will be focusing on as part of its regulatory work in 2009″.
Report Objectives:
“In Focus on 2009 OPTA is publishing today what it will be doing tomorrow to ensure that competition occurs in the communications markets and that consumers are protected. This Focus represents a follow-up to Vision 2008. In 2006 OPTA published a long-term outlook called Vision 2007 which was followed by a sequel the next year called Vision 2008. The future scenarios outlined in them still serve as the basis for OPTA s intervention in the electronic communications and postal markets”.
Legislation and Regulations:
OPTA is at the starting post of the comprehensive deregulation of the Dutch postal market, which will occur as soon as the Ministry of Economic Affairs has made a decision in this respect. Amongst other things, OPTA will then be given the task of determining the tariffs for the universal postal service, of adjudicating disputes between postal companies, and of conducting research into the operation of the national postal market.
Should this research constitute grounds for doing so, OPTA will present the Ministry with recommendations relating to the application of the new legislation. Until that time OPTA will implement the current Postal Act and, in doing so, will closely monitor the situation to ensure proper compliance with the currently applicable regulations.
Dutch legislation and regulations are based on European directives. At the end of 2008 the European Council of Ministers agreed on a new range of directives covering electronic communications.
A new European postal directive was already promulgated at the beginning of this year and needs to be implemented in Dutch legislation by no later than 2010. OPTA will be presenting recommendations to the Ministry of Economic Affairs concerning the effective implementation of these new regulations.
