Network Neutrality in the EU

TILEC Discussion Paper No. 2007-030

68 Pages Posted: 2 Oct 2007 Last revised: 21 Apr 2013

See all articles by Filomena Chirico

Filomena Chirico

Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC)

Ilse M. van der Haar

Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC)

Pierre Larouche

Université de Montréal; Center on Regulation in Europe (CERRE)

Date Written: September 2007

Abstract

This paper seeks to assess exactly where and how the network neutrality discussion taking place in the United States is relevant in the EU context, and thus where Europeans should be concerned. Secondly, where there is a concern, it looks to EC law to ascertain whether it already provides a response or whether further action at the legislative or regulatory level would be needed. The paper tackles three contentious issues of the net neutrality debate: discrimination, blocking user access to content and access-tiering. It does so by first singling out the markets affected by such practices, then analysing the competitive situation therein and finally discussing EC law response to the concerns thus identifies. Moreover, the analysis is put in the perspective of the more general discussions surrounding the appropriate infrastructure policy in the EU.

Keywords: Network Neutrality, Internet Governance, European Union, Infrastructure policy, Competition Law

JEL Classification: K21, K23, L51, L86

Suggested Citation

Chirico, Filomena and van der Haar, Ilse M. and Larouche, Pierre, Network Neutrality in the EU (September 2007). TILEC Discussion Paper No. 2007-030, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1018326 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1018326

Filomena Chirico (Contact Author)

Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) ( email )

Warandelaan 2
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

Ilse M. Van der Haar

Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) ( email )

Warandelaan 2
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

Pierre Larouche

Université de Montréal ( email )

Montreal, Quebec H3T 1B9
Canada

Center on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) ( email )

Rue de l'Industrie 42
Brussels, 1040
Belgium

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