A notice of meeting published by the Council of the European Union schedules the Working Party on Telecommunications and Information Society for 14 July 2026 at 10:00 in the Justus Lipsius Building, Brussels. The meeting will examine the Digital Networks Act proposal's radio spectrum provisions and hear a Commission presentation on the Digital Decade Policy Programme review.
The agenda lists three items. Under item 1, the Commission will present the Digital Decade Board Opinion on the Review of the Digital Decade Policy Programme, with the document to follow. Item 2 focuses on the Digital Networks Act's radio spectrum articles (Articles 29-32 and 33-35, plus Annex VI), with delegations examining the proposal based on document ST 5600/26 + ADD 1. Item 3 covers any other business. The meeting format is 1+2, and delegations must register via the delegates portal.
The Digital Networks Act, proposed by the European Commission in February 2026, aims to overhaul EU telecom rules to boost investment in gigabit and 5G networks. The radio spectrum provisions under examination are a key component, addressing spectrum assignment, sharing, and coordination to support connectivity targets. The Working Party's scrutiny precedes further discussions in the Council's Telecommunications and Information Society configuration and eventual negotiations with the European Parliament.
Stakeholders impacted include telecom operators, who face new spectrum management rules that could affect licensing costs and deployment timelines; national regulatory authorities, which will implement the harmonised spectrum framework; equipment manufacturers, who must align with updated technical standards; and consumers, who may benefit from improved network coverage and competition. The examination of spectrum articles involves trade-offs between harmonisation for cross-border services and member states' flexibility to manage national spectrum resources. No prior coverage of this specific meeting exists in the available record.