This book is a systematic comparative study of WTO and EU law relevant for universal service provision, and a timely contribution to the ongoing scholarly and policy debates about the concept and scope of universal service.

Universal service is one of the most significant regulatory issues worldwide and it is likely to remain so. The central question dealt with by the author is how the technologically intensive sector of telecommunications services can be regulated in a socially fair way in the light of liberalisation and the immense importance of ICTs in the Information Society. The author investigates whether the legal frameworks of WTO and EU can meet the challenges of the rapid and dramatic technological and social change and formulates relevant policy recommendations.

The book is of interest to both scholars and practitioners in several disciplines, such as EU and WTO law, telecommunications law and regulation, political science regarding market regulation and governance as well as European integration and WTO.

Olga Batura is affiliated to the Leuphana Law School, University of Lüneburg, Germany, and to the European Humanities University in Vilnius, Lithania.

Inhalt

Introduction.- Liberalisation of Telecommunications Services: Social Embedding of the Liberalised Market as a Regulatory Challenge.- Liberalisation and Regulation of International Trade in Telecommunications Services Through the WTO.- Liberalisation of Telecommunications Services Markets and Regulation of Universal Service in the European Union.- Transformation of Universal Service for the Future.- Conclusion.