Member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission have reached an agreement on the Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA). The regulation should make it easier to install fiber and 5G. As a result of our lobbying, a large number of elements to which VNG objected have been adjusted.
Member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission have reached an agreement on the Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA). The regulation should make it easier to install fiber and 5G. As a result of our lobbying, a large number of elements to which VNG objected have been adjusted.
The GIA directly affects municipalities when it comes to granting permits and exemptions. The proposal offers insufficient flexibility for member states to continue using existing (well-functioning) systems, registrations and procedures and creates unnecessary administrative and financial burdens. Therefore, we have reservations about the added value of the original proposal. And the possibilities offered to make a good local balance between the interests of telecom companies and other public interests and tasks, such as energy transition, sustainability and participation.
Together with municipalities and the municipal platform for cables and pipes, we wrote a VNG position paper, which was adopted by the Information Society Committee in 2023. We then also sought cooperation in lobbying with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and with umbrella organizations of municipalities from other member states.
In line with the VNG and national position, the proposal has been adapted and is now more in line with existing Dutch systems. This applies especially to the national digital access point for information provision and permit processing. Requirements that do not fit Dutch legislation have been removed as much as possible. These include, for example, automatic admissibility/granting of permits (lex silencio positivo) and making activities permit-free by the European Commission. We are pleased with this result.
VNG position paper Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA) (1).
Fiche 1: Regulation on gigabit infrastructure (2).
https://vng.nl/sites/default/files/2024-03/vng-standpunt-gigabit-infrastructuur-act.pdf
https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/publicaties/2023/04/03/bijlage-bij-kamerbrief-inzake-bnc-informatievoorziening-over-nieuwe-commissievoorstellen
