Abstract
This paper describes the development of the European Union's (EU) role in the field of telecommunications policy, from the late 1980s onwards. It examines the evolution of the European regulatory package for telecoms and gives an overview of the reforms implemented at national level to transpose the European policy framework. It also draws on some of the most recent EU-level studies to present an analysis of the effects of liberalisation on telecoms markets in member states. As such, it is intended to complement and provide a contextual background for the more analytical articles in this special edition. In more general terms, it will give readers a good overview of the history of and current 'state of play' in European telecoms policy.
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