The European telecommunications sector urgently needs a fully realised and operational Single Market on a continental scale. This step is crucial not only to maintain the global relevance of the sector, but also to ensure the competitiveness and innovative capacity of the European Union. The current political momentum towards a stronger European defence integration represents a valuable opportunity, as the two areas, electronic communications and defence, are deeply interlinked. The current drive towards greater defence integration should therefore be used to promote ambitious reforms in the telecommunications market.

The telecommunications sector must be recognised as a strategic asset, indispensable to Europe’s collective security. In this perspective, the ongoing debate on defence can – and must – act as a catalyst for an essential reform of the entire sector. In simple terms: there can be no credible European defence without a genuine single telecommunications market.