National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology of the Republic of Moldova

On October 17-18, an ANRCETI Delegation, headed by Grigore Varanita, Director, is taking part, in the Plenary Assembly of the EaP Regulators Network, comprising the six countries EaP members (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, R. Moldova, Ukraine), hosted by the Regulator of Armenia, in Yerevan.

Founded in 2012, the Network is meeting at the II Plenary Assembly, six months later after I Plenary in Kiev, where ANRCETI Director was elected as Chairman of the Network. According to the Plenary Agenda, the Plenary will review the results of the Network activity in 2013 and will approve the Work Plan for 2014.

As well, the participants will present the current status of ICT regulation in EaP countries, will review the annual training program and the results of the benchmarking studies over the degree of telecommunications development and evolution of the regulatory frameworks in these and EU countries. Also, the new Web page of the Network, which will soon be launched, will be presented to the Assembly. The delegates are planning to approve the working documents of the Network for 2014 and elect, according to the Memorandum of Understanding, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Network for 2014.

The creation of the Network is one of the objectives of the EaP Roadmap, aimed at strengthening the cooperation between EaP countries and EU member states. The Network goal is to contribute to a closer cooperation among regulatory authorities, in order to enable the harmonization of the regulatory principles applied across the EaP region with the ones applied in EU countries.

The main emphasis in the work of the new organization will be placed on ensuring a regular exchange of information and experience between EaP and EU electronic communications regulators, on monitoring market developments and regulatory framework in EaP countries, on approximation to EU standards and the application of best regulatory practices in EaP countries.

For achieving these goals, the EaP Regulators Network is benefiting from the two-year technical assistance project. The work of the project also envisages exchanges of experience, seminars dedicated to current regulatory issues, as well as comparative analysis (benchmarking) of electronic communications market development and evolution of the regulatory frameworks in EaP countries, which will be regularly updated.

The implementing company is Pricewaterhouse Coopers Slovakia.

Delegates at the meeting of Regulators Group for Electronic Communications in Eastern Partnership countries. (Yerevan, 17 to 18 October 2013)

October 17, 2013