Press Release: EU regulators favour pro-competitive approach to Internet telephony

The European Regulators Group (ERG), which brings together the 25 national regulatory authorities responsible for electronic communication markets, stressed on 11 February 2005 that Voice over Internet Protocol had the potential to radically change the existing market structure. Meeting in Brussels, the ERG adopted a common statement on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services in order to facilitate the roll out and widespread use of Internet telephony in Europe. The European Commission itself favoured an EU-wide 'light touch' approach to Internet telephony as the best way to encourage competition between internet carriers of telephone traffic and traditional telephone networks.