Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 December 2025
209. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Ireland's position on the question of whether the European Commission's upcoming proposals for new Digital Networks Acts should take the forms of a regulation or a directive (details supplied); the rationale for Ireland's position on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70506/25]
View answerThe Digital Networks Act is due to be published by the European Commission in January 2026. My Department has published a response to the European Commission’s Call for Evidence in July 2025 which outlined our position on a number of potential proposals that could be included in the Digital Networks Act. One of these was whether previous legislative instruments such as the European Electronic Communications Code Directive should be merged into a new regulation. While Ireland does not object to the principle of merging legislative instruments, both Regulations and Directives have different legal effects in Member States. Careful consideration would need to be given before moving matters currently provided for in the Code Directive into a Regulation. Absent specific details in a legislative proposal yet to be published, the precise intent and potential impact of the proposals is not apparent and cannot be commented on further. Ultimately it is a call for the European Commission which has the exclusive right of initiative in legislative matters.
My Department looks forward to publication of the Digital Networks Act and continued engagement with the European Commission and other Member States throughout the negotiation process.
