How Ireland’s Council presidency can shape the EU’s connectivity, spectrum, and online safety agenda

Setting the stage: why telecommunications will define Ireland’s presidency

Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU comes at a pivotal moment for European telecommunications as the EU seeks to deliver on its Digital Decade connectivity targets, close investment gaps in next-generation networks and simplify an increasingly complex telecoms rulebook.

At the centre of the agenda is the proposed Digital Networks Act (DNA), a major overhaul of the EU telecommunications framework. Running in parallel are negotiations on the proposed Regulation on combating online child sexual abuse material (CSAM), highlighting how telecoms policy increasingly sits at the intersection of connectivity, security and fundamental rights.

Modernising the EU connectivity framework: the Digital Networks Act

The DNA will replace the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC), the BEREC Regulation, the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme, parts of the Open Internet Regulation, and parts of the ePrivacy Directive with an intention to ease the compliance burden for providing communication services in the EU whilst modernising the framework. By using a Regulation, rather than a Directive, the DNA should have direct effect and ensure greater alignment between Member States.

Building on the work of the EECC, this modern and simplified legal framework is intended to incentivise the transition from legacy copper networks to fibre, high‑quality 5G and 6G networks, and cloud‑based infrastructures. It also aims to increase scale through cross‑border service provision and operations, recognising that fragmented national regimes have to date constrained operators’ ability to invest and compete with global counterparts.

The DNA complements broader EU initiatives on cybersecurity and critical‑entity protection by creating a sector‑specific preparedness framework for electronic communications through a “Union Preparedness Plan for Digital Infrastructures” to strengthen resilience, clarify roles of EU and national authorities, and improve early‑warning and crisis‑management mechanisms.

There are some surprises though, including the expansion of the general authorisation regime to include providers of communications networks and services that are used “for the purpose of providing electronic communications services or information society services available to the public”, potentially broadening the regulatory framework’s application to certain infrastructure operators, including submarine cable networks that support publicly available digital services.

For Ireland, these objectives will translate into practical negotiating priorities: simplification and coherence for operators active in multiple Member States, predictable conditions for long‑term infrastructure investment, and a regulatory environment that treats connectivity as strategic infrastructure rather than merely a utility input.

Spectrum and authorisation: toward a genuine single market in connectivity

The DNA proposal gives particular weight to spectrum management and authorisation, areas that have also historically been fragmented across Member States. It aims to set the regulatory conditions for a single market in connectivity by incentivising investment in fixed, mobile, and satellite networks and supporting emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, quantum communication, and advanced cloud services.

Ireland will be expected to broker compromises on how far the EU should go in centralising spectrum and satellite decisions, and how quickly authorisations can be obtained. For spectrum‑dependent businesses, from mobile network operators to satellite communications providers, the presidency will shape the degree of certainty and harmonisation available for long‑term licence planning.

Consumer protection, net neutrality, and end‑user rights

Telecoms policymaking under Ireland’s presidency will also be shaped by the DNA’s approach to end‑user protection. The proposal seeks to simplify and further harmonise sector‑specific consumer rules, while maintaining complementarity with horizontal consumer protection law.

Annexes to the DNA proposal set out detailed information requirements for contracts and transparency, covering internet access services, quality of service, tariffs, contract duration, termination rights, and remedies. These rules are designed to give consumers clear and comparable information while avoiding unnecessary complexity. Ireland’s presidency will need to balance calls for granular transparency against industry concerns about reporting burdens and flexibility in product design.

Governance and institutions: shaping BEREC, spectrum bodies, and the Office for Digital Networks

The DNA proposal also reshapes the governance architecture for EU telecommunications. It consolidates and updates the rules governing BEREC, the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme, and new or adapted bodies such as the Office for Digital Networks, while aligning with instruments like the Cybersecurity Act, NIS2, and the Critical Entities Resilience Directive.

Institutional negotiations under Ireland’s presidency will be closely tied to practical telecom questions. One core issue is how much authority EU‑level bodies should have over spectrum and satellite authorisation relative to national regulators. Another is how to ensure consistent implementation of resilience, net neutrality, and end‑user rules across Member States without disregarding local market conditions.

There is an opportunity for the DNA to simplify the framework for operating in the EU and enable cross-border service provision with minimised regulatory burdens.

Child online safety and encrypted services: telecoms at the intersection of rights and regulation

Alongside the DNA, Ireland will take over politically sensitive negotiations on a proposed regulation to prevent and combat online CSAM to take over from the temporary derogation that has now lapsed.

Negotiators in the Commission, Parliament and from the Member States recently reached compromises on almost all provisions of the draft law including on scope and definitions, rules on reporting, removing and blocking CSAM, rights to information and assistance, providers’ risk‑assessment and mitigation obligations, and the governance, tasks, and financing of a planned EU Centre to coordinate the fight against CSAM.

However, no final agreement was reached on detection obligations and discussions on this issue will continue under Ireland’s presidency, focusing on how to distinguish between detection of public and non‑public content, and between detection orders and providers’ own‑initiative searches. Technical work on these distinctions is set to proceed before political negotiations resume, with the aim of finding “balanced solutions” as early as possible.

Looking ahead: Ireland’s opportunity to reset Europe’s telecom trajectory

Ireland’s presidency comes at a time when the EU is reassessing the foundations of its digital competitiveness and infrastructure resilience. The Digital Networks Act and the CSAM regulation are not isolated files; together, they reflect a broader attempt to recalibrate how Europe treats connectivity, security, and online rights.

The Irish Presidency has an opportunity to move Europe closer to a genuine single market for connectivity, supporting investment in fibre, mobile, satellite and cloud infrastructure while balancing security, innovation and fundamental rights. The progress made over the next six months will help shape the future European telecoms landscape for years to come.