The Council today adopted a regulation on guidelines for the deployment and interoperability of telecommunications infrastructure projects of common interest in the field of trans-European telecommunications networks. Today's decision follows an agreement reached at first reading with the European Parliament which held its vote at the plenary session of 26 February 2014.

The regulation covers projects in the area of digital service infrastructures and broadband networks which meet the general objective of contributing to growth in line with the Europe 2020 strategy, and lays down the criteria on the basis of which actions in this area are eligible for EU financial assistance. 

The regulation will enter into force on the day after its publication in the EU Official Journal and it will apply retroactively, from 1 January 2014.