A senior Spanish politician highlighted an ambition to push regulatory changes to boost the prospects of local telecommunications operators during the nation’s upcoming stint leading the Council of the European Union, Bloomberg reported.

In an interview with the news publication, Spain’s Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure Maria Gonzalez Veracruz outlined a goal to help improve the position of the region’s operators in the global market.

Part of this, she noted, was to help in “every way it can” to aid market consolidation.

The comments came ahead of Spain taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from current holder Sweden in July.

Sector consolidation has been a hot topic in Europe over the last year.

Orange and Masmovil are currently seeking to merge operations in Spain, and this week rumours emerged surrounding potential M&A activity between Vodafone Group and Iliad Group.

During MWC23 Barcelona earlier this year, a number of operator chiefs on the continent were scathing in their criticism of the regulatory environment, including policies deemed to hinder consolidation.