Participation in ECC work

The ECC depends on active external participation in our work to complement our members’ own experience and technical expertise.

The ECC and its purpose

The ECC is a body of national regulators operating at the European level to identify and realise the benefits of harmonised approaches to spectrum and numbering management across the CEPT countries.  These benefits mainly relate to economies of scale, and the reduction of lost opportunities for economic and social benefit at border areas. For spectrum, this is because measures to protect significantly dissimilar systems from interference usually result in less technically efficient outcomes than when systems have similar characteristics.  Harmonisation also brings large associated social and convenience benefits – which are often an expectation these days - to people taking radiocommunications equipment across the many borders within the CEPT region.

Why the ECC values external contributions

The primary point of contact between industry, institutions and the spectrum and numbering management frameworks will usually be the national regulatory authority in the country concerned.  This informs the regulators who participate in the ECC’s Working Groups, Project Teams and Task Groups.  However, the ECC places value in direct contributions from expert sources outside of the CEPT administrations.  The knowledge of industrial and other parties in research and service implementation is essential to developing fully informed spectrum and numbering management policies which are relevant and practical.

The basic rules

Representatives from external organisations (e.g. companies, trade associations, etc…) may participate as observers in meetings of the ECC and its various bodies.  The formal framework for engagement of external organisations in ECC work is described in the ECC Rules of Procedure, Articles 1.3 with additional information included in Articles 11.10 and 11.11.

Participation in the ECC and its subordinate groups

The ECC Working Methods part 6 describes how organisations which have a Memorandum of Understanding or a Letter of Understanding with the ECC may participate in its meetings as Observers. Part 7 describes the principles under which such framework agreements may be made. However, it is also possible to participate without having an MoU or LoU (see ECC Working methods part 6).