At its Plenary Session of 6 May 2009, the European Parliament adopted a number of amendments negotiated with the Council to the Council's common position with a view to securing adoption in second reading. These amendments concern essentially the following elements:
The Regulation as amended by the European Parliament establishes a two-tier structure:
- the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), composed of a Board consisting of the 27 national regulators, would have advisory powers but no legal personality;
- the Office, comprising a Management Committee (27 + 1 member representing the Commission) and an Administrative Manager, would have a support role, and would be a Community body with legal personality.
BEREC would assist the Commission and the national regulators with expert advice in the range of their responsibilities under the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications.
The Office would provide the professional and administrative support services required by BEREC to fulfil its tasks and would be financed by a Community subsidy and financial contributions from Member States or NRAs made on a voluntary basis to finance specific items of operational expenditure.
The Commission accepts the European Parliament's amendments as being in line with the overall purpose and the general characteristics of the proposal.