Directive 2014/61/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks Text with EEA relevance

Some Member States have adopted measures intended to reduce the costs of broadband roll-out.

Emphasises that in countries where labour costs are high relative to productivity, and where the creation of jobs is therefore hindered, possible taxation measures to reduce these costs and/or increase productivity could be examined while making determined efforts aimed at increasing productivity; underlines that tax reforms must serve to promote labour market participation in order to increase labour supply and promote inclusiveness; stresses, in this context, that the rights of workers and roles of social partners should always be fully respected;

The proposal is adopted against the background of the Commission proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks[2], which already took the approach of addressing in a single instrument a number of distinct regulatory cost elements at various stages of the network investment process which, taken together, allow reductions in broadband roll-out costs of up to ...[+++]30%.

Follow up actions: The European Council is invited to: set a joint 25% target for reducing administrative burdens as a political objective to be achieved jointly by the EU and Member States by 2012; endorse the priority areas identified by the Commission in which significant progress should be made to reduce administrative burdens, notably: tax law including VAT; statistics; agriculture and agricultural subsidies; food labelling; transport and fisheries legislation; endorse a package of dedicated proposals to reduce administrative costs with significant early benefits; approve the proposed methodology for measuring costs.

Directive 2014/61/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks (OJ L 155 of 23.5.2014, pp. 1-14).