14.6.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC161/11
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveontheapproximation ofthelawsofthe
MemberStatesconcerningsatelliteearthstationequipment,extendingthescopeofCouncil
Directive91/263/EEC(1)
(93/C161/03)
On11January1993theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon31March1993.TheRapporteur
wasMrNierhaus .
Asits305thPlenarySession(meetingof28April1993)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.5.Theultimateaimshouldbetosubstituteuni­
formCommunityproceduresforthenationalpro­
cedureswhichstillexistoutofnecessityatthemoment.
2.Specificcomments1.Generalcomments
1.1.Theproposalisforthemomentthelastin
aseriesofCommissionactionsaimedatoptimizing
telecommunications intheCommunity .Theseactions
include:
—theNovember1990GreenPaperonsatellitecom­
munications (2);
—theCouncilDirectiveontheapproximation ofthe
lawsconcerningtelecommunications terminal
equipment (3);
—theCouncilResolutionofDecember1991onthe
commonmarketforsatellitecommunications ser­
vicesandequipment(4).
1.2.TheEconomicandSocialCommitteewhole­
heartedlyapprovedalltheabovemeasures(5),because
theoptimumuseofefficienttelecommunication net­
worksisavitalprerequisitefordevelopingtheCom­
munitymarket.
1.3.Thepurposeofthenewproposalistoproceed
furtherwiththeharmonization ofthetechnicalspecifi­
cationsgoverningtelecommunication networkcom­
ponentsbyapproximating thelawsonsatelliteearth
stationequipment .
1.4.Itthusservesthegeneralobjectiveofmaking
widespreaduseof:
—thepossibilitiesaffordedbycross-bordertelecom­
munications ;
—theadvantagesofalargeEuropeanmarket;
—morestraightforward legalandadministrative pro­
ceedingsandsimplerrecognitionprocedures .2.1.Theproposalsupplementsthe1991Council
Directiveontheapproximation ofthelawsofthe
MemberStatesconcerningtelecommunications ter­
minalequipment(3).ThisDirectivealsodealswiththe
mutualrecognitionoftelecommunications terminal
equipment'sconformity,butdoesnotexpresslyrefer
tosatelliteearthstationequipment .Theaimofthe
proposalis:
—tocompletetheestablishmentoftheinternalmarket
forsatelliteearthstationequipmentandmakeeffec­
tiveuseoforbitalresourceswhile,atthesame
time,avoidingradiointerferencebetweentechnical
systems;
—toharmonizecertification ,testing,marking,quality
assuranceandproductsurveillanceproceduresfor
satelliteearthstationequipment;
—toguaranteetherighttousesatelliteearthstation
equipmentwhichhasbeenlegallyputonthemarket;
—toguaranteetherighttoconnectsatelliteearth
stationequipmenttopublictelecommunication net­
workswithoutfurtherprocedures .
(i)OJNoC4,8.1.1993,p.18.2.2.AccordingtotheCommittee,thefollowing
shouldalsobeobjectives :
—theprovisionbytheCommissionassoonaspossible
ofauniformlicensingprocedurefortheoperation
oftransmit-receive satelliteearthstationequipment
intheCommunity ;
—theexemptionofallnewsatellitereceiveonlyequip­
mentfromoperatinglicenceprocedures;(2)Doc.COM(90)490final,20.11.1990.
(3)OJNoL128,23.5.1991,p.1.
(4)OJNoC8,14.1.1992,p.1.
(5)OJNoC159,17.6.1991,p.23;OJNoC329,30.12.1989,
p.1.

NoC161/12 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 14.6.93
—theavoidanceofmultipleauthorizationprocedures .
2.3.TheCommitteegenerallythinksthatthepro­
ceduresandprovisionsgoverningtelecommunications
terminalequipment(*)shouldalsoapplytosatellite
earthstationequipmentasfaraspossible.Thereshould
benoexceptionsunlessthespecificcircumstancespecu­
liartosatelliteearthstationequipmentaredifferent.
2.4.Giventheseobjectives,theCommitteegivesits
expressapprovaltotheproposal.
2.5.Itwould,however,pointoutthattheuseof
uniformstandardsintheCommunityonthebasisof
internationalstandardsisavitalprerequisiteforthe
plannedharmonization proceduresandproofsofcon­
formity.ForthisreasontherecognitiontheEuropean
standardization bodiesCEN,CenelecandETSIare
givenintheexplanatorymemorandum isnotenough;
theCommission shouldalsoliaisewiththemona
permanent,forward-looking basis.However,thestan­
dardizationbodieswillhavetocreatethenecessary
prerequisitesforthisingoodtime.
2.5.1.Inthiscontext,theCommitteenoteswith
approvalthatmostofthesuggestionsmadeinitsOpin­
ionof4October1989(2)havebeenaccepted.
2.6.TheCommission'sattemptsatharmonization
inconnectionwithaccesstothemarketinsatelliteearth
stationequipmentarejustifiedbuttheyshouldnot
overlookthefactthatformalrequirementsshouldnot
makeitunnecessarilydifficultformanufacturers to
provideproofofconformity .
2.7.Thesameappliestomanufacturers whoare
interestedingainingaccesstothemarketintelecom­municationsterminalequipment.Suchaccessmustalso
befreeofsuperfluousregulatoryconstraints .
2.8.Theharmonization procedureswhichtheCom­
missionintendstobringinshouldalsonotharmusers'
intereststoapointwheretheyaresaddledwithavoid­
ablecosts.Thatwouldruncountertothepurposeof
theproposal.
2.9.TheCommitteepointsoutthatitwillbenecess­
arytoavoidtheriskinfuture,too,ofnotbeingable
toexploitrapidtechnicaladvancesinthefieldoftele­
communications becauseofcumbersomeadministrative
andstandardization procedures .
2.10.TheCommitteewouldemphasizethatthe
plannedDirective'simplementation shouldbesought
asquicklyaspossiblesinceotherwisethemarketwould
takeaturninthewrongdirectionbyitself.
2.11.TheCommitteethinksthataclearerdistinction
mustbemadeinthetextoftheproposalbetween(a)a
licenceforaspecificmodelorpieceofequipmentand
(b)alicencetotransmitoroperate.
2.12.TheCommitteecanonlyassumethatthebudg­
etprovidedforwillbesufficienttomeettheobjectives.
Itisfirmlyopposedtoanycutsintheplannedactivities
onfinancialgrounds.
3.Finalcomment
3.1.TheCommitteethinksitisself-evidentthat,in
additiontotheCouncilandtheEuropeanParliament,
theEconomicandSocialCommitteeshouldalsoreceive
theperiodicreportsonhowtheCommissionprojects
haveprogressedandwhatresultshavebeenobtained.
3.2.Eventhoughtheproposaldoesnotaddressthe
problemofstandardizinguserlicences,theCommittee
wouldtaketheprecautionary stepofstressingthegreat
importanceofthisproblemandtheurgentneedtofind
asolutionforthefuture.(!)Cf.Directive91/263/EEC,OJNoL128,23.5.1991,p.1.
(2)OJNoC329,30.12.1989,p.1.
DoneatBrussels,28April1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN