The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted its opinion on the Digital Networks Act (DNA) on 17 June 2026, broadly welcoming the proposed regulation's objectives but recommending key safeguards, according to a cover note published by the Council on 23 June 2026. The EESC supports the DNA's integrated approach to digital network regulation but insists on preserving net neutrality, avoiding mandatory 'fair-share' payments by large content providers, safeguarding national regulatory authority (NRA) independence, and making copper switch-off conditional on adequate fibre coverage and affordability protections for vulnerable users.
The opinion, based on Articles 114 and 304 TFEU, follows a referral from the European Parliament on 4 February 2026. The EESC endorses a Regulation as the right instrument for uniform rules but insists that delegated acts be limited to strictly technical matters. On governance, it calls for a clear allocation of tasks between the proposed Office for Digital Networks (ODN), BEREC, the Radio Spectrum Policy Body (RSPB), and NRAs, stressing NRA independence. The Committee supports the single-passport authorisation mechanism and a prohibition on additional national conditions, with narrowly defined exceptions for overriding public-interest grounds.
On access and competition, the EESC warns against prematurely weakening the significant market power (SMP) regime and supports NRA powers to mandate access to civil-engineering infrastructure. For spectrum, it accepts longer licence durations but insists on regular reviews and 'use-it-or-share-it' mechanisms, with EU scrutiny remaining cooperative rather than replacing national responsibilities. The copper switch-off must be conditional on adequate fibre coverage and safeguards for affordable access for vulnerable and remote users; the EESC recommends EU-wide affordability benchmarks and price monitoring.
Crucially, the EESC insists that net neutrality must be preserved as a central safeguard and recommends explicitly excluding regulatory 'fair-share' schemes that impose mandatory payments by large content providers based on traffic volumes or origin. On security, it calls for close alignment with the NIS2 Directive, Cybersecurity Act, and CER Directive to avoid duplicate obligations. For end-user rights, the EESC supports strong, harmonised rights and minimum quality-of-service standards, along with reinforced cross-border claims and redress procedures.
The opinion will inform the European Parliament and Council as they continue legislative work on the DNA, which aims to overhaul the EU's telecoms regulatory framework. The EESC's recommendations, if adopted, would strengthen protections for consumers and NRAs while potentially limiting the Commission's flexibility on delegated acts and fair-share mechanisms.