Liberalizing and Re-Regulating Telecommunications in Europe: A Common Framework and Persistent Differences

This paper analyses the role of the European Union in promoting liberalisation among its member states and in crafting the multilateral regime for telecommunications services. It begins by analysing the origins of the EU regime, describing its contours and assessing its implementation. It then examines the interaction between the EU and the multilateral regime, examining the Uruguay Round and post-Uruguay Round negotiations on telecommunications services and outlining the issues under consideration in the GATS 2000 negotiations. It then proceeds to assess how the regulatory developments at the national, European and multilateral levels coexist and interact.