27.06.2002

FICORA to chair a central cooperation group for European telecommunications authorities

Director-General of FICORA, Rauni Hagman, will chair the Independent Regulators' Group (IRG) during the half-year period from 1 July to 31 December 2002.

IRG was established in 1997 as an unofficial cooperation group for European National Telecommunications Regulatory Authorities. The group consists of EU and EEA Member States and Switzerland and the Group has in total 19 member administrations.

One target of the IRG is to harmonise European telecommunications administration practices and to form common views on topical issues, such as the practical implementation of the new directives on communications, especially questions relating to market definitions and market analyses. Owing to the new EC communications directives, the IRG is at the moment prepared for closer cooperation with the European Commission. One of the biggest challenges under FICORA's presidency will be to organise the cooperation relating to the implementation of the communications directives between IRG member administrations.

Active IRG cooperation is increasingly important. The Group is one of FICORA's most important international cooperation partners and the Authority has taken an active part in the work of the organisation and its sub-groups and in the structural development of its activities. To improve the efficiency of IRG's operations a secretariat was set up in June 2002. Among other things, this secretariat assists the administrations chairing the IRG in their duties. Also FICORA is represented in the secretariat.

The IRG holds plenary meetings at least two times a year and the next meeting will be held in Helsinki in September 2002.

Further information:Rauni Hagman, Director-General of FICORA, tel. +358 9 6966 401, GSM +358 40 561 3499,
Henriikka Piekkala, Senior Officer, Tel. +358 9 6966 894, GSM +358 40 529 8355 and
Anna Jokela, Head of Communication, Tel. +358 9 6966 404, GSM +358 400 439 955