BRUSSELS, Feb. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- The European Union (EU) regulators on Friday pledged to encourage EU-wide competition between internet carriers of telephone traffic and traditional telephone networks.

    "Voice over Internet Protocol has the potential to radically change the existing market structure," said a statement issued by the European Regulators Group (ERG), which brings together the EU 25 national regulatory authorities responsible for electronic communication markets.

    The ERG, after a one-day meeting here, adopted a common statement on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services in orderto facilitate the roll out and widespread use of Internet telephony in Europe.

    The EU executive European Commission also favors an EU-wide "light touch" approach to Internet telephony as the best way to encourage the competition.

    "I intend to strongly promote an open, pro-competitive approachto Voice over IP in all 25 member states of the EU, and I therefore welcome today's first positive joint signal from the national regulators," said EU Commissioner Viviane Reding, responsible for Information Society and Media.

    VOIP services, which threaten traditional telecoms companies through their ease-of-use and lower call charges, are used by approximately 4.9 million consumers in Japan, but are yet to take off in Europe.

    However, "as IP technology becomes a widespread phenomenon, today's telephone networks will be completely restructured," said a press release of the Commission.

    VOIP technology requires a broadband internet, so adoption willdepend upon the take-up rate for high-speed internet connections.

    Broadband's penetration rate is currently only 6.5 percent of households in the 25-member European Union, and about 7.6 percent in the former 15-member state western European area, the commission said. Enditem