‘A great honour’: University of Limerick hosts meeting of EU communications ministers
University of Limerick President Professor Shane Kilcommins has said it was a ‘great honour’ to host the Informal Meeting of EU communications ministers.
The informal meeting, chaired by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, TD and taking place this Tuesday in the UL Sport Arena, brought together Ministers, senior European officials, including Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen, and representatives from across the EU and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
The two working sessions focused on the reform of the electronic communications regulatory framework and the importance of satellite communications.
Speaking at the event, Minister O’Donovan said he was “delighted to have my colleagues from the European Union and the Commissioner here as well as part of the EU Presidency here in Limerick.
“It is a huge honour for Limerick to have this, and I want to thank particularly Professor Shane Kilcommins, president of UL, without whom and his cooperation and everybody here, we wouldn’t be able to have this.
“Today’s meeting gives us the opportunity to consider how Europe can build an electronic communications market that is more competitive, more agile and more sustainable.
“This is an opportunity for us to reflect together on some of our shared challenges such as resilience of communications networks and ensuring that Europe delivers the best connectivity for its citizens. Such discussions are important for Ireland as we aim to progress the negotiations of the Digital Networks Act and the Mobile Satellite Services Decision.”
Professor Shane Kilcommins said: “It is a great honour for UL to host the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Telecommunications as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
“We are proud to support Minister O’Donovan and his department colleagues and across Government for this important gathering and to welcome EU ministers, policymakers and stakeholders from across Europe to our campus and the UL Arena.
“As one of Ireland’s leading universities, UL is deeply committed to fostering European collaboration through education, research and innovation. This event reflects the strong and enduring connections between Ireland and our European partners, particularly at a time when digital connectivity, technological advancement and shared prosperity are central to Europe’s future. Universities have a unique role to play in shaping that future.
“Through our engagement with European institutions, our participation in EU-funded research programmes, and our commitment to preparing graduates for an increasingly interconnected world, UL is helping to advance the values and ambitions that underpin the European project.
“We are delighted to provide a platform for these important discussions and look forward to contributing to the exchange of ideas that will help strengthen Europe’s digital future and further enhance Ireland’s connectivity and engagement across the European Union.”
The first session will explore the proposals in the Digital Networks Act (DNA) to set a European wide deadline for copper switch off to help reach the targets set out under the Digital Decade. It will also assess the introduction of new measures that aims to encourage greater investment in the sector to aid the transition from copper to fibre.
The second session will discuss the importance of satellite in addressing coverage gaps across the European Union as well as ensuring back up for blue-light services in the event of a major disruption or natural disaster.
Ireland assumed the Presidency of the Council of the EU in July and is hosting 22 informal ministerial meetings, an informal meeting of Heads of State or Government of the EU, two high-level conferences and over 250 other events.
