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.