The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has welcomed the European Commission’s proposed Digital Networks Act as an important step towards modernising telecom markets, while warning that the draft falls short when it comes to guaranteeing access to terrestrial radio in vehicles.
In a statement responding to the proposal, published this week by the European Commission, the EBU said the draft legislation preserves essential safeguards for media, including access to services, must-carry rules and net-neutrality principles. These elements are seen as crucial to ensuring that public service media remain easy to find and accessible across platforms and devices.
However, the EBU criticised the lack of stronger provisions to secure terrestrial broadcast radio in all vehicles. While the proposal maintains digital radio access in passenger car receivers, it does not extend mandatory radio availability to all vehicle categories. The EBU argues that this limits radio’s ability to act as a universal information channel in emergencies.
“The Digital Networks Act proposal retains essential safeguards for the media sector. This shows that the EU understands the crucial role that the media plays in European democracies,” said Vincent Sneed, Senior EU Policy Adviser at the EBU. “We regret that crucial access to radio has not been expanded to ensure terrestrial broadcast radio presence and access in all vehicles, as radio is a lifeline in times of crisis.”
Beyond in-vehicle access, the EBU also expressed concern over provisions related to network access fees. Although the proposal reduces the idea of mandatory network fees for online content delivery to a voluntary conciliation mechanism, the organisation warned that compulsory payments or negotiations for IP interconnection could disproportionately affect public service media and restrict audience access to general-interest content.
The EBU welcomed the proposal’s recognition of national competence over broadcast spectrum management, but stressed that safeguarding radio distribution remains critical. According to the EBU, terrestrial radio has repeatedly proven its resilience when other communication networks fail, making it indispensable during natural disasters, blackouts and conflicts.
