European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations

European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations – is a regional organization that was established on June 26, 1959 by 19 countries. Today, CEPT has 48 member-states.

The main task of CEPT is to consider issues of state policy and regulatory issues in the postal and telecommunications sphere within Europe, including the use of radio frequency spectrum.

The functions of CEPT also include preparation of the European proposals for congresses and conferences of ITU and Universal Postal Union and their working bodies, study of issues of organization and functioning of telecommunication and postal services and the harmonization of these services within Europe.

As a result of its activities CEPT issues decisions which are obligatory for each administration that joins in them, as well as recommendations.

In addition, with the support of CEPT in 1988, European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) was established.

The headquarters of CEPT is situated in Copenhagen (Kingdom of Denmark).

The structure of CEPT

CEPT consists of three divisions:

• Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) is responsible for matters relating to radiocommunications and telecommunications.

The permanent secretariat of ECC is the European Communications Office (ECO).

• European Committee for Postal Regulation (CERP)
• Committee for ITU Policy (Com-ITU) is responsible for co-coordinating CEPT for the preparation and conduction of ITU events: ITU Council meetings, Plenipotentiary Conferences, World Telecommunication Development Conference, and World Telecommunication Standardization Assemblies.

The committees coordinate the consideration of the actual state regulation issues of postal and telecommunication services and development of common approaches of the member administrations of CEPT approve normative acts: decisions (obligatory for the communication administrations joined in them), recommendations, pan-European proposals and positions.

The committees establish relevant working groups (WG) that are directly involved in the development and harmonization of common rules and approaches, including regulations, project teams (PT) and target groups (TG) subordinated to the relevant committee or working group established for a limited period of time to work out specific issues.

The supreme body of CEPT are the three Chairmen of ECC, CERP and Com-ITU Committees.