17. 3. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 69/9 
Proposal for a Council Directive on the frequency bands to be made available for the 
coordinated introduction of public pan-European digital mobile communications in the 
Community 
COM(87) 3 5 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 9 February 1987) 
(87/C 69/09) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 100 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas Council recommendation 84/549/EEC (x) calls 
for the introduction of services on the basis of a common 
harmonized approach in the field of telecommunications; 
Whereas resources of modern telecommunications 
should be utilized to the full for the economic 
development of the Community; 
Whereas mobile radio services are the only means of 
contacting users on the move and the most efficient 
means for those users to have connections to the public 
telecommunications networks; 
Whereas mobile communications depend on the reser­
vation and availability of frequency bands, in order to 
transmit and receive between fixed base stations and 
mobile stations; 
Whereas frequencies and systems currently in use in the 
Community vary widely and do not allow the benefits of 
European-wide services and European-wide markets to 
be reaped for all users on the move throughout the 
Community, whether in vehicles, boats, trains, or on 
foot; 
Whereas the change-over to the second generation 
cellular digital mobile communications system will 
provide a unique opportunity to establish a truly pan-
European mobile communications system; Whereas the European Conference of Postal and 
Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) has 
recommended that frequencies 890 to 915 and 935 to 
960 MHz be set aside for such a system, in accordance 
with recommendations by the International 
Telecommunications Union (ITU) allocating such 
frequencies to mobile radio services use; 
Whereas parts of these frequency bands are being used 
or are intended for use by certain Member States for 
interim systems and other purposes; 
Whereas the progressive availability of the full range of 
the frequency bands set out above will be indispensable 
for the establishment of truly pan-European mobile 
communications; 
Whereas the implementation of Council recommendation 
... of ... on the coordinated introduction of public pan-
European cellular digital mobile communications in the 
Community, aiming at starting a pan-European system 
by 1991 at the latest, will allow the speedy specification 
of the radio transmission path; 
Whereas Council Directive 86/361/EEC (2) on the initial 
stage of the mutual recognition of type approval will 
allow the rapid establishment of common conformity 
specifications for the pan-European cellular digital 
mobile communications system; 
Whereas it is appropriate to review the current radio 
frequency allocations considering the importance of the 
future pan-European cellular digital mobile communi­
cations system; 
Whereas it is necessary to strengthen the international 
coordination in this field, in accordance with the radio 
regulations of the ITU; 
Whereas a common position should be reached 
regarding availability of frequency resources with regard 
to the ITU's world administration radio conferences; 
Whereas the report on public mobile communications 
drawn up by the analysis and forecasting group (GAP) 
for the senior officials group on telecommunications 
(SOG-T) has drawn attention to the availability of 
adequate frequency resources as a vital precondition for 
pan-European cellular digital mobile communications; 
(') OJ No L 298, 16. 11. 1984, p. 49. O OJNoL217, 5. 8. 1986, p. 21. 
No C 69/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 17.3.87 
Whereas favourable opinions on this report have been 
delivered by the telecommunications administrations, 
by the European Conference of Postal and Telecom­
munications Administrations (CEPT) and by the 
telecommunications equipment industry in the Member 
States, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
1. Member States shall ensure that the frequency 
bands 905 to 914 MHz and 950 to 959 MHz or 
equivalent parts of the bands mentioned in paragraph 2 
are made available exclusively for a public pan-European 
cellular digital mobile communications service by 1 
January 1991. 
2. Member States shall ensure that plans are prepared 
for the public pan-European cellular digital mobile 
communications service to be able to occupy 
progressively the whole of bands 890 to 915 and 935 to 
960 MHz according to commercial demand but at the 
latest within a period of 10 years starting from 1 January 
1991. Article 2 
For the purposes of this Directive, a public pan-
European cellular digital mobile communications service 
means a mobile communications service which allows 
mobile terminals to communicate efficiently with mobile 
and fixed terminals in all parts of the Community using 
digital techniques according to common specifications. 
Article 3 
1. Member States shall bring into force the provisions 
necessary to comply with this Directive on ... at the 
latest (!). They shall forthwith inform the Commission 
thereof. 
2. Member States shall communicate to the 
Commission the text of the provisions of national law 
which they adopt in the field governed by this Directive. 
Article 4 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 
(') Not later than one year following adoption thereof.