ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(75)109
Vol.1975/0040

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(75)109final.
Strasbourg,12March1975
HARMONIZATION OFTELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICESANDEQUIPMENT
(Commissioncommunication totheCouncil)
COM(75)109final

COMMUNICATION TOTHECOUNCIL
HAHI-ICMTSATIONOFTELECOMKUNICATIONSSERVICES ANDEQUIPMENT
Introduction
Goodtelecommunications facilitiesareessentialtotheeconomic,
socialandindustrialdevelopment oftheEuropeanCommunity;theirprovision
willrequireamajoreconomicandtechnicaleffortinthenexttenyears.
Thereisatpresentanaverageof25telephonesper100ofthe
260millionpopulationoftheCommunity.IntheUSAtherearemorethan
71telephonesperhundredofthe210millionpopulation.
Thelargescaleprovisionofnewdatatransmissionfacilitieswill
alsobevitaltotheeffectiveuseofcomputersinEuropeanlife.
960,000computerterminalsareatpresentinstalledintheUSAandthe
quantityisexpectedtogrowtooverfourmillionin1980.Bycontrast,
therearetodaylessthan100,000computerterminalsinthewholeofEurope
andthepresentgrowthforecastistoapproximately 500,000in1980and
only815,000by1985* -
ThenewdimensionoftheEuropeancommunities providesnotmerely
burgeoningbusinessandpersonalrequirements forservicesataEuropean
levelbutanewopportunityforEurope'stelecommunications administrations
toplanaridprovideservicesinacoherentEuropeanframeworkandtoprocure
equipmentonaEuropeanscale.AtpresenteachMemberStatehasatelecom­
munications systemthatwasdesignedtomeetitsowninternalandinternational
requirements .Thefactthatmanycharacteristics ofthesenationalnetworks
aredifferentfromeachothercreatessignificantdifficulties inproviding
fortheintroduction andgrowthofthetelecommunication servicesnecessary
toservethepresentanddevelopingneedsoftheCommunitytakenasawhole.
/

-2-
Thedifferencesalsoinhibitintra-Communitytradeintelecommunications
equipment.In1972outofatotalexpenditure "bytheNineTelecommunications
Administrations ofapproximately fourthousandmillionu.a.,onlytwo
hundredmillionu.a.or5waspurchasedfromotherthannationalsuppliers
Theseparationofnationalmarketshasaffectedthestructureof
theEuropeantelecommunications equipmentmanufacturing industryand
adverselyaffecteditscompetitivecapabilityintheworldoutside.The
industryneedsahomemarketbaseforthedevelopmentofadvancedtechnology
systemsofContinental scale.
Actionrequired
TheCommunity'sneedforamoderntelecommunications infrastructure
supportedbyastrongtelecommunications industrywithaccesstothe
entireEuropeanmarketcanonlybemetbyacombination ofpolicies.
Thishasappearedclearlyinthediscussions intheframeworkof
theCouncilonthedraftDirectiveonpublicsupplies.
1.Openingupthekarket
TheCommissionhasproposedtoapplytheDirectiveontendering
forpublicsupplycontractstotelecommunications equipment.Suitably
adaptedtomeetthespecialproblemsoftelecommunications ,theDirective
offersarealisticandpracticalwayofprovidingEuropeanindustrywith
growingopportunities tocompetethroughoutthecommonmarketandthus
developdimensions andcapabilities strongenoughtocompeteinworld
marketswiththemajorenterprises basedoutsideEurope.
2.Harmonization
Rulestoopenuptenderinghowever,needtobeaccompanied by
othermeasuresifthereistobeausefulandeconomicgrowthofintra-
Communitytradeintelecommunications equipment.Thiswasmadeclearin
aReportcarriedoutbytheServicesoftheCommissioninclosecollabo-

-3-
rationwithnationaltelecommunications Administrations andsenttotheCommittee
ofPermanentRepresentatives inSeptember1974*In,thisreportthatelecommunica­
tionsAdministrations oftheMemberStates,appreciating theneedtomeetthe
challengeposedbythesituationsetoutabove,agreedthatinordertoestablish
acommonmarketfortelecommunications equipmentandtoprovidenewtelecommuni­
cationsservicesonaEuropeanscale,workwillhavetobecarriedouttoharmonize
-servicesofferedtocustomers
–operational proceduresoftelecommunications systemsmanagement
–technicalstandardsforsystemsandequipment
–proceduresandtechnicalconditionsfortypeapprovalofsubscribers
apparatus.
Thetelecommunications Administrations agreedthatharmonization studies
attheEuropeanlevelleadingtoagreements onspecifications andstandardsare:
a)essentialtoachievethefullaimsofthedirective
b)importantinanycasetothefuturedevelopmentoftheEuropean
nationalandinternational telecommunications networks
c)mostvaluableasameansofstrengthening thecompetitive
positionofEuropeanindustryinworldmarkets.
AllAdministrations agreedwiththeCommissionthatsincetheEuropean
telecommunications networkisnotlimitedbythefrontiersoftheCommunityand
includesmajorcountriesoutside,thisworkofharmonization shouldbecarried
outinsuchawaythat:
1–fulladvantageistakenofexistingfacilitiesbywhichtheEuropean
Communityandnon-Community Administrations havealreadyestablished
workingarrangements toagreeinternational proceduresandstandards,
2–maximumbenefitcanbeobtainedbytheCommunitytelecommunications
manufacturing industryfromtechnicalstandardsthathelpthemtosell'
intothelargestpossibleEuropeanmarket.
andcannotthereforebelimitedtoCommunitycountries.Forthesereasonsitis
proposedtocarryouttheworkintheframeworkoftheConferenceEuropeennedes
Administrations desPostesetdesTelecommunications (CEPT).Thisinternational
organisation wassetupinSeptember1959and-hasapresentmembershipof
twenty-sixWestEuropeancountries.ThebasicobjectiveoftheCEPTisthe
harmonisation andimprovement ofthecommercialandtechnicalservicesprovided
byitsmembers.Thenewprogrammeofharmonization *wouldimplyamajorincrease
inthiseffort,encouragedandsupportedbytheCommunity.

Svtfhamaij&Peffftr-6inthefieldsofharmenizatien ofserviced
andofindustrialstandards,wouldhaveasignificant impact,bothon•
theusersofinternational telecommunications servicesandonindustry *
TheCommissionthereforeconsidersthatmeansmusthefoundofgiving
usersandindustryanopportunitytobringtheirviewstobearonthework
andithasaskedthetelecommunications Administrations toconsiderhow
thismightbedone#
Itseemsatleastatpresent,thatpresentobstaclesresultmore
fromtrulytechnicalfactorsthanfromlegislative orregulatoryacts.
Hence,andinviewoftherapidrateoftechnicalchange,thecomplexity
ofstandardsinthisareaandthedifficultyofproceedingaccordingto
afixedtimetableinthisfield,the-Commissionhasconcludedthatnew
standardsarebestappliedonavoluntarybasis,asareexistingCEPT
standards.TheCommissionhoweverreservestherighttomakeproposalsfor
aDirective,underArticle100oftheESCTreaty,ifexperienceproves
atsomestagethatregulations oradministration actionsinMemberStates
stillimpedetheeffectiveoperationofthecommonmarket.
Timing,CharacterandReasonsforaResolution
PlenarymeetingsoftheCEPTatwhichfuturepolicyandnew
activitiesaredecided,takeplaceeverytwoyears.Oneisplannedfor
April1975*ItisthereforeessentialfortheCEPTtotakeadecisionat-
themeetingontheprogrammeofharmonization ,assetoutabove,ifwork
istostartsoonandintime,topermitausefulapplication ofthe
Directiveonpublicsuppliestotelecommunications atanottoodistant
date.
DecisionsinCEPTaremadeonthebasisofproposalsbythemember
telecommunications Administrations .Followingtheunanimousagreementof
thetelecommunications Administrations ofMemberStatesontheneedfor
aprogrammeofharmonization ,theCommissionhasaskedthemtoraisethis
matterattheCEPTmeetinginApril1975*AdoptionbytheCouncilofa
Resolutionendorsingtheprogrammeofharmonization ishoweververydesi­
rable,becauseofthepoliticalimportanceoftheprogrammeofwork
envisagedandthemajorresourcesofskilledmanpowerwhichthetelecom-/

-5-
munications administrations wouldhavetocommitsuchaprogrammeovera
periodofyears.Non-Community membersofCEPTwillofcoursebefreeto
joinintheprogrammeofwork,buttherulesofCEPTdonotmakethe
participation ofallmembersapre-condition forundertaking aprogramme
ofactivities . .
Inviewoftheimportanceoftheworkofharmonization ,inparticular
fortheeffectiveapplication oftheDirectiveonpublicsupplyto.telecom­
munications equipment,itisessentialthataformalassociation shouldbe
established betweentheCommunityandtheworkofharmonization inCEPT.
Regularreportsontheprogressofharmonization must*inparticular ,
beavailabletotheCommission ,ifitistomakesoundproposalsonthe
timetableforapplication oftheDirectivetodifferentcategoriesof
equipment,aswellastowatchovertheapplication oftheDirectiveand
tofulfileffectivelyitsfunctionaschairmanoftheConsultative Committee.
IftheCounciladoptstheresolutionasproposedbytheCommission ,
itwillbefortheCEPTtorespondandelaborateitsownproposedworking
methods.TheCommissionhas,however,suggestedtotheCEPTthatoneofits
staffshouldattendtheCEPTmeetingasanobserver.Itwilldiscusswith
thetelecommunications administrations oftheMemberStatestheappropriate
formsof'collaboration andliaisonbetweentheCEPTandtheCommission.It
willreporttotheCouncilontheimplementation oftheResolutionby
October1975*
TheCommissionhopesthattheCouncilwillfeelabletoadoptthe
resolutionsettingoutthesepointsbeforetheendofMarch1975*
3.FurtherActions
Theprogrammeofharmonization setoutabovewillmakeamajor
contribution toprovidingEuropewithamoderntelecommunications infra­
structureduringthe1980's.Inordertoachieve{thebenefitstobederived
fromtheworkoftechnicalharmonization andtheprogressive implementation
ofthedirective ,theCommissionalsointendstoidentifyandstudy,in
Collaboration withrepresentatives ofindustryandnationalgovernments ,
thevariouseconomicfactorsthatwillrequiretobetakenintoaccountand
wherenecessary ,harmonized ,toavoidthedistortionofcompetitionthat
couldarisefromdifferentnationalpractices.

-6-
Asuccessful programmeofharmonisation ofservicesand.industrial
standardscouldopenupsignificant newopportunities forcollaborative
researchanddevelopmentoftelecommunications systemsandequipmentboth
atthelevelofthetelecommunications administrations andofindustry.
TheCOSTprojet20alreadyenvisagesanumberofprogrammesofthiskind.
TheCommissionintendstostudyfurtherpossibilities ,withaviewtomaking
anyappropriateproposalsforCommunitysupportforprogrammesof'common
interest.
Itshouldbenotedthattheprimeconcernofthisresolutionis
withtheharmonisation ofservicesandindustrialstandardsspecificto
Telecommunications .
Therearealsoothernonspecificproductspurchasedbythe
Administrations forwhichstandardsareenvisagedbytheapplication of
Directivesformingapartoftheprogrammesaimedateliminatingtechnical
barrierstotrade.
ThelastparagraphoftheresolutionproposedbytheCommission
referstothisprogrammewhichisindependentofanddifferenttothework
envisagedbythisresolution.

-7-
DfaftResolution oftheCouncil
TheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunities
consideringthat:
effectiveandhomogeneoustelecommunications facilities (telephone,telegraph
andassociatedservices)areimportanttothecommercial,industrialand
socialdevelopment oftheCommunityStates;
telecommunications ,whencomparedtoothermeansofcommunication ,offer
potentialsavingsofenergyandnaturalresources,whichcanbeenhanced
furtherbytheuseofadvancedtechnologies ;
itisnecessarytostrengthenthecompetitivepositionofEuropeanindustry
inworldmarkets;
thatrealisation ofasignificantlevelofintra-Community tradeintelecom­
munications equipmentdependsonharmonisation :
resolvesthat:
aworkofharmonisation mustbeundertakeninparticularinthefollowing
fields:
-servicesofferedtocustomers
-operational proceduresoftelecommunications systems
management
-technicalstandardsforsystemsandequipment
-proceduresandtechnicalconditionsfortypeapproval
ofsubscribers apparatus.
considering alsothat:
thebenefitsofthisworkofharmonisation areofequalandmutualimportance
toboththeMemberStatesandtheotherEuropeanStateswithwhomthey
cooperatethroughthemediumoftheConferenceEuropeennedesAdministrations des
PostesetdesTelecommunications (CEPT),
tobeeconomic,theprovisionofnewandadvancedtelecommunications facilities
shouldbeconceivedandimplemented onthelargestpossiblescale,without,
however,hinderingCommunityinitiativesinthisfield,
theneedtotakeaccountoftheviewsofthemanufacturers oftelecommunications
equipmentandtheusersoftelecommunications services.
Itisresolvedthat:
thecompetentAdministrations oftheMemberStateswillexplorewiththeother
membersoftheCEPThowbest:
/•

-tocarry outthis work ofharmonisation asanextension ofthe col­
laborative activities already undertaken inthe framework ofthe
CEPT ,
-toenable the Commission oftheEuropean Communities toparticipate
inthis work ,
-tofurnish the Commission with advice andinformation ontheplanning
andprogress ofthework ofharmonisation soastoensure acontinuing
close collaborative relationship between theCommunity andthe CEPT .
The Council notes that theCommission will report tothe Council ,before
the 1stofOctober 1975 »on "theimplementation ofthework ,together
with anynecessary proposals .
The Council also notes that this resolution iswithout prejudice to
theoutcome ofapplying Community measures forharmonisation sofar or
yet tobetaken inthecontext oftheprogramme fortheelimination of
technical barriers totrade .