No C 175/36 Official Journal of the European Communities 4. 7. 88 
The Committee is also opposed to the tendering system 
which has been announced for beef. Differences in the 
quality of beef make this measure unsuitable. Small and 
medium-sized processing plants would also be discrimi­
nated against. In the Committee's view the quotas for 
beef imports from third countries far exceed domestic 
demand. The Committee would like to see the Com­
mission draw up proposals on how the supply of live 
calves for fattening could be improved in certain deficit < 
regions (e.g. Greece). 
Done at Brussels, 28 April 1988. 
1. The Committee records its satisfaction at having 
been asked for an Opinion by the Commission on this 
communication, which is designed to facilitate consider­
ation of the Green Paper and future EC telecommuni­
cations policy. The communication sets out a pro­
gramme of action both as regards measures to be unter-
taken by the Commission under Community compe­
tition rules and its general mandate, and as regards 
future proposals to the Council, in order to achieve 
progressive opening of the telecommunications market 
in the Community to competition. 3.9. Milk 
In view of the situation on the Community and world 
milk market, the Committee suggests that the Com­
mission draw up a proposal cancelling the temporary 
1,5% quota suspension due for the 1988/1989 market­
ing year. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT 
1.1. The communication is therefore a follow-up to 
the Green Paper. It draws attention to the wide-ranging 
debate prompted by the Green Paper and does not 
diverge from it in any substantial way. The communi­
cation does, however, provide a number of important 
clarifications in respect of the Commission's priorities 
for action. The communication comprises three parts, 
namely: 
a) areas where the development of concrete policy 
actions is possible now; 
b) areas where comprehensive policy consensus still 
has to be worked out; Opinion on the Communication from the Commission: 'Towards a competitive community-
wide telecommunications market in 1992 - Implementing the Green Paper on the development 
of the Common Market for telecommunications services and equipment - State of discussions 
and proposals by the Commission.' 
(88/C 175/13) 
Acting in accordance with the provisions of Article 198 of the Treaty, the EC Commission 
asked the Committee, on 26 February 1988, for an Opinion on the abovementioned communi­
cation. 
The Committee's Section for Transport and Communications, which was instructed to 
prepare the work on the matter, issued its Opinion on 13 April 1988 (rapporteur: 
Mr Rouzier). 
At its 255th plenary session on 27 and 28 April 1988 (meeting of 27 April 1988), the Economic 
and Social Committee adopted the following Opinion by 85 votes to 8, with 25 abstentions. 
4. 7. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 175/37 
c) areas where existing policies must be confirmed/ 
strengthened. 
1.2. The Committee confirms the views it put for­
ward in its earlier Opinion (l) in which it endorsed the 
basic aim of the Commission's proposal i.e. 'to develop 
the conditions for the market to provide European users 
with a greater variety of telecommunications services, 
of better quality and at lower cost, affording Europe 
the full internal and external benefits of a strong tele­
communications sector'. In its earlier Opinion the Com­
mittee expressed reservations on certain points and on 
the way in which the proposed objectives were to be 
achieved. 
The Committee reiterates its request to be consulted on 
subsequent concrete proposals from the Commission 
on the implementation to the objectives set out in the 
Green Paper. The Committee does, however, regret that 
the Commission has not taken sufficient into account 
the abovementioned Opinion in a number of aspects of 
the communication which are dealt with in the com­
ments set out below. 
2. The Commission states that broad consensus has 
been reached in a number of fields. In this context 
attention should be drawn, inter alia, to the following 
points, which were also raised in the Opinion of 
November 1987 on the Green Paper. 
First telephone set 
2.1. The Committee had underlined the need for the 
full opening of the terminal market to competition, 
including the market for first telephone sets (conven­
tional sets), to be carried out on a phased basis. Given 
the long type-approval procedures which appear to be 
necessary if this market is to be fully opened, the 
proposed transitional period (up to 31 December 1990 
at the latest) would appear to be inadequate as it still 
will not give the less-favoured regions (those having a 
lower telephone density) the time they need to carry 
out the indispensable strengthening of their network 
infrastructures. 
(') OJ No C 356, 31. 12. 1987, p. 46. 
Done at Brussels, 27 April 1988. Telecommunications services 
2.2. The Committee regrets the decision to confine 
the exclusive or special rights of telecommunications 
administrations to voice telephony. This may jeopardize 
the original role of the public service. 
Furthermore, the proposed deadline for opening the 
market for all the other services to competition (31 
December 1989) seems too short. A longer transitional 
period should have been set so as to permit the establish­
ment of regimes which would guarantee the future 
supply of telex services and public data transmission 
services. 
Identical rules of competition 
2.3. The reaffirmation that the same rules of compe­
tition will apply, on a strictly equal basis, to both 
the telecommunications administrations and the private 
suppliers is greeted with satisfaction. 
3. Attention is drawn to the following points in 
respect of those fields in which consensus has yet to be 
reached: 
Telecommunications network infrastructure 
3.1. The Committee hopes that the final decision 
will reflect the point of view expressed in its abovemen­
tioned Opinion, to the effect that all two-way communi­
cations systems should be regarded as forming an inte­
gral part of the network and should therefore be 
covered by the exclusive or special rights of the telecom­
munications administrations. 
Social dialogue 
3.2. In the Committee's view it is of vital importance 
to achieve consensus on the 'social dialogue' and even 
more energy should therefore have been devoted to this 
objective, especially at a time when decisions taken on 
technical problems may have significant social conse­
quences. The Committee urges that the social dialogue 
be broadened yet further. This is essential if the many 
social problems are to be taken into consideration. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Alfons MARGOT 
^oCMPBeo^ C^ttici^i]ourn^lot^r^cLuroroc^nC^ornrnuniric^ ^^^ 
to the Committee C^pinion 
The following amendments to the ^ectionOpmion,tabled in accordance v^ith the rules of procedure, v^ere 
re^eced during the debated 
Point 1^ 
^The Committee is therefore pleased that, in accordance v^ithparagraph^.l^ of its Opinion on the Creen 
Paper U^^^^rnberl987Mhe Commission has submittedadetailed schedule for action to achieveagenume 
Community market in telecommunications services and equipment byl99^B 
r^or^^,against^ ^, abstentions^!^. 
Points. 
^The Committee welcomes the fact that the Commission has defined basic services more clearly than in the 
CreenPaper.tn the light of this and the fact that the Commission has provided information on the discussion 
prompted by the Creen Paper, the Committee approves the decision to confine the exclusive or special rights 
of telecommunications administrations to voice telephony,subject toapenodic review of this decison. 
The Committee also approves the proposed deadline and procedures for opening up the market for all the 
other services to competition.This v^ill make it possible to halt current infringements of theTreatyB 
^or^9,agamst^^,abstentionsm7.