29 May 2012
Today, 29 May 2012, the president of the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM), Mr. Catalin Marinescu, and the president of the Albanian Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP), Mr. Piro Xhixho, have signed in Bucharest a Memorandum of Understanding.
The main objective of this Memorandum of Understanding is to establish the necessary framework for the cooperation and exchange of information between the two regulatory authorities, in their domain of activity.
The collaboration is mainly aimed at promoting the exchange of information regarding the legal framework which applies to the sector of electronic communications and postal services, as well as the exchange of experience inasmuch as regulation and consultation in these fields are concerned. This cooperation will uphold the regulatory activities undertaken by both regulators with a view to promoting competition and the end-users’ interests, in line with the European and international best practices.
The two authorities will hold bilateral consultations, both at management and expert levels, and will participate to relevant events held in the two states, including workshops, seminars, study visits. The agreement also provides the participation in the activities of the regional working group in the field of electronic communications (the Central Eastern Europe Regional Working Group) by promoting the work of this group and granting support to any initiative of this kind, launched or upheld by one of the authorities. Furthermore, any regional event in the electronic communications field organised by any of the institutions will include a session dedicated to the regional working group.
The representatives of the two institutions will meet in order to assess the progress made, set priorities for cooperation within the framework of the next term and consider new approaches for improving the collaboration. Also, the two institutions can agree joint actions and positions at European and other international organizations level related to the electronic communications and postal service sectors.
The Authority for Electronic Communications and Post (AKEP), headquartered in Tirana, is the independent regulatory body in the field of electronic communications and postal services from the Republic of Albania. The Authority’s work is governed by the provisions of Law no. 9981, in force from 19 May 2008, and by the special legislation applicable to the postal sector and to the policy development area, defined by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania.