Minister Ranne to attend informal meeting of EU telecommunications ministers in Spain

The Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU will hold an informal meeting of telecommunications ministers in León on 23–24 October 2023. Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne will represent Finland at the meeting. It will be an informal meeting where no decisions are taken.

The ministers will discuss the achievement of the goals for the EU Digital Decade, the implementation of the digital rights with particular attention to disruptive technologies, and the future of telecommunications. 
 
In digital development, Finland especially emphasises the meaning of data security and consumer and data protection. In addition, it is particularly important for Finland that everyone is involved. 

“Basic digital skills and expertise must be promoted in all activities of society and at all stages of people’s lives. The digital principles and legislation of the EU are a good basis for developing and introducing new technologies in a human-centred way that takes people’s needs into consideration,” says Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne. 
 
The new technologies will result in changes in the telecommunications sector, too. The topics of the ministerial meeting will include the next generation of telecommunications regulations that would allow the telecommunications sector to adjust to the market entry of new players and to the deployment of new technologies. They would also help to increase investments in the telecommunications infrastructure in the coming years.
 
“The damage to the gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia and to the telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea are a topical example of how necessary it is to strengthen the alternative, digital connections and the resilience of the critical infrastructure in Europe. They form the backbone of our society and the basis for our competitiveness,” says Minister Ranne.
 
A policy debate on the implementation of the goals of the Digital Decade is timely, because the Commission issued its first report, as well as country reports, on the state of the digital development in September 2023. 
 
In line with the Digital Decade 2030 programme, Finland has submitted to the Commission a progress plan on how Finland will promote the goals of the digital development by 2030.  Finland has considered it important that the goals to be set for the digital development are ambitious but flexible according to the starting situation of each Member State. The progress plans are to be updated for the first time in 2024, and every two years after that. 

Inquiries:

Kaisa Kopra, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 50 44 18 005, [email protected]