Report on the Implementation of the Regulation on Open Internet Access

The European Commission compared the current situation with the one before its open internet regulation entered into force (on 30 April 2016) and concluded that the regulation’s principles are appropriate and effective in protecting end-users’ rights and promoting the internet as an engine for innovation. The report suggests that there is no need to amend the regulation at this stage, in order to continue with the regulatory stability and in view of continuing protecting end-users’ rights and promoting open access to the internet. Digital businesses are clearly flourishing as evidenced by start-up clusters in very dynamic places across Europe. The emergence of these start-ups is, in part, thanks to their ease of access to their customers, which the regulation supports. In addition, the regulation does not seem to affect the investments made by providers of internet access services. All market participants highly appreciate the legal certainty that it has created, as having predictable rules is crucial for their investment decisions.