WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1638/98 by Amedeo AMADEO to the Commission. Mobile and wireless communications
Date: 1998-05-29
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament
Subjects: approximation of laws, communications industry, communications policy, industrial property, radio telecommunications, restriction on competition, standardisation, trade licence, waveband

C 50/60

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.2.1999

(1999/C 50/085)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1637/98

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(29 May 1998)

Subject: Mobile and wireless communications

Having regard to (a) the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the further development of mobile and
wireless communications › Challenges and choices for the European Union (COM(97) 217 final) and (b) the
Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions; Strategy and policy orientations with regard to the further
development of mobile and wireless communications (UMTS) › Outcome of the public consultation and
proposals for creating a favourable environment (COM(97) 513 final), and to the provisions relating to
cooperation between the Commission and the Member States and with the organizations concerned at
international and European level, can the Commission also ensure that at European Union level a single strategy
is adopted with regard to UMTS and that standardization is, moreover, achieved with the full participation of all
the players from the industrial sector and that the interests of manufacturers and operators are represented, so as
to minimize problems connected with industrial property rights?

(1999/C 50/086)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1638/98

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) to the Commission

(29 May 1998)

Subject: Mobile and wireless communications

I would refer to (a) the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the further development of mobile and
wireless communications › Challenges and choices for the European Union (COM(97) 217 final) and (b) the
Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions; Strategy and policy orientations with regard to the further
development of mobile and wireless communications (UMTS) › Outcome of the public consultation and
proposals for creating a favourable environment (COM(97) 513 final).

As regards licences, measures taken in this connection must take into account the industry(cid:146)s expectations that the
first UMTS services will come into operation around 2002 and that the system will be available world-wide
around 2005. In order to comply with these dates, can the Commission lay down a Community reference
framework ensuring that the national authorities and those responsible for adopting the regulations issue licences
by means of an objective, transparent and non-discriminatory procedure and well in advance, that is, from the end
of 1998 onwards?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1634/98, E-1635/98, E-1636/98, E-1637/98 and E-1638/98
given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(2 July 1998)

With the (cid:145)Communication from the Commission to the Parliament, the Council, the Economic and social
committee and the Committee of regions on the further development of mobile and wireless communications ›
Challenges and choices for the European Union(cid:146), the Commission consulted the sector at large and the Member
States on the five key questions which the Honourable Member raises. The answers given by industry and other
interested parties, and the regulatory conclusions drawn by the Commission are given in the (cid:145)Communication
from the Commission to the Parliament, the Council, the Economic and social committee and the Committee of
regions on the further development of mobile and wireless communications › outcome of the public consultation
and proposals for creating a favourable environment(cid:146).

The Commission proposal for a decision of the Parliament and of the Council on the coordinated introduction of
mobile and wireless communications (UMTS) in the Community (1) aims to put in place an appropriate
regulatory framework for frequency allocation. In its Article 5, it foresees a procedural mechanism which builds
on the work of the European radio communications committee (ERC) to work out a harmonised usage of
spectrum for UMTS. In case the ERC decisions were not adopted by Member States in full and in time, binding