Technology
Placing products on the market
The Bundesnetzagentur is responsible for the application of EU Directives 2014/53/ EU (RED) and 2014/30/EU (EMC Directive) in Germany, transposed into national law by the EMVG (Elektromagnetische-Verträglichkeit-Gesetz) and the FuAG (Funkanlagengesetz). The European regulatory framework for product marketing requires EU Member States to carry out efficient market surveillance to protect consumers against unsafe products and products – also from third countries – not meeting the essential requirements.
Recognition of conformity assessment bodies
The recognition of conformity assessment bodies under the FTEG and the EMVG and the recognition of conformity assessment bodies in the context of Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) between the European Commission and Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Japan and Switzerland ensure that the private bodies certifying product conformity with the essential requirements comply with the legal requirements in terms of, for instance, their impartiality and qualification.
Standardisation
The Bundesnetzagentur's participation in standardisation organisations helps to ensure that the regulatory objectives and the fundamental requirements placed on products are taken into account when developing standards.
Technical compatibility
The provisions of the Telecommunications Act (TKG) stipulate the efficient and interference-free use of radio frequencies as one of the aims of regulation. Likewise, the FTEG and the EMVG refer to freedom from interference as an essential requirement. In this regard, one of the main tasks consists in establishing technical compatibility between the various applications using electromagnetic waves.
Broadcasting
So far broadcasting has been largely characterised by vertical integration on the part of the providers. In this case, network and platform operators' functions are combined in one and the same company. The application of proprietary technologies forces consumers to use specific terminal equipment if they want to use protected broadcasting or any other multimedia services with a specific network connection.
ATRT
Exchanging know-how in the field of information and communication technology with the greatest possible number of stakeholders, also from industry, is vital and also takes place, for instance, in the Telecommunications Technical Regulation Committee (ATRT).