./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/C/N/139
14 February 2001
(01-0722)
Council for Trade in Services Original:  English
NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE III:3 OF THE
GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES
The following notification has been received from the delegation of the Republic of Poland.
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1. Member notifying:
The Republic of Poland
2. Notification under:
Article III, paragraph 3 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services
3. Date of entry into force:
1 November 1999
Duration
Indefinite
4. Agency responsible for implementati on and enforcement of the measure:
Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications
5. Description of the measures:
Measure
(i) mode of supply covered by the measure:  (3) commercial presence
(ii) effect on trade in services:  liberalization measure
(iii) the measure has impact on commitments in the telecommunication services:
The regulation of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications of 9 September 1999 on
general conditions of telecommunication networks interconnection and rules of accounting
imposes obligations on operators of the public use telecommunication networks, guaranteesentitled entities to identical conditions of connection to the public use telecommunication
network on the basis of continuous provision of services and non-deterioration of their
quality.  The method of connection of network cannot limit the possibility of providingS/C/N/139
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telecommunication services by other operators of interconnnected networks, subject to
abilities of every network concerned.
Connection of networks is at entitled entity's written notion.  Operator of public use
telecommunication network having dominant position concludes with applicant a cooperation
agreement which subjects in particular are:
(i) settlements concerning position of points of contact of telecommunication
networks;
(ii) technical conditions of connection of telecommunication networks;
(iii) conditions of using connection infrastructure;
(iv) methods and accounting rates and terms of payment;
(v) procedure of conduct in case of divergence created during settlements,
including divergences resulting from measurement of traffic transmittingbetween networks;
(vi) rules of responsibility in case of non-performance of the agreement;
(vii) procedure of conduct in case of rebuiliding of parties' telecommunication
networks and in case of failure thereof or states of emergency;
(viii) conditions of termination of contract assuring protection of subscribers
interests, in particular maintaining continuity of provision of public
telecommunication services taking into consideration needs of defences and
security of country.
Operator of Poland-wide public use network havi ng dominant position is obliged to assure, on
demand of every operator of inter-zonal network, functioning of points of contact in hisnetwork, separately for every numbering zone, so that no later than from 1 July 2000 every
subscriber of public use telecommunication networks has the possibility to use inter-zonal
operator's network when making inter-zonal connections.  The above-mentioned operators, no
later 1 July 2000 are obliged to start points of contact at least in numbering zones in which
international telephone centrals are located, and no later than 1 July 2000 in numbering zonesin which long-distance telephone transit centrals are located and which belong to Poland-wide
public use network operator having dominant position.
6. Members specifically affected, if any:
None
7. The texts are available from:
Official Journal of Laws No. 79/1999, item 897.
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