Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Sixth Report on the Implementation of the Telecommunications Regulatory Package"
Date: 2001-09-20
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: application of EU law, information society, price disparity, telecommunications

22.1.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 19/1

II

(Preparatory Acts)

COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Sixth Report on the Implementation of the
Telecommunications Regulatory Package’

(2002/C 19/01)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Sixth Report on the Implementation of the Telecommunications Regulatory Package
(COM(2000) 814 fin);

having regard to the decision of the Commission on 7 December 2000 to consult it, in accordance with
the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 13 June 2000 to instruct Commission 3 for Trans-
European Networks, Transport and the Information Society to draw up the relevant opinion;

having regard to its Opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament,
the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Fifth Report on
the Implementation of the Telecommunications Regulatory Package (COM(1999) 537 fin) and the
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of
the Regions — Towards a New Framework for Electronic
Communications Infrastructure and Associated Services — The 1999 Communications Review
(COM(1999) 539 fin) (CdR 520/99 fin) (1);

having regard to its Opinion on the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the
Council on universal service and users’ rights relating to electronic communications networks and services
(COM(2000) 392 final — COD 2000/0183) (2) (CdR 274/2000 fin) (3);

having regard to the draft Opinion adopted by Commission 3 on 4 July 2001 (CdR 52/2001 rev.)
(rapporteur: Mr Koivisto, FIN/PSE),

adopted the following opinion unanimously at its 40th plenary session of 19 and 20 September 2001
(meeting of 20 September).

The Committee of the Regions

1. Agrees with the assessment in the Commission’s report on
the success of the European Union’s telecommunications
regulatory policy and its importance, particularly with a
view to curbing the increasing price differentials between
Member States and regions.

2.

Considers the drafting of annual reports on regulatory
and telecommunication market developments as an effec-
tive way of influencing the behaviour of telecommuni-
cations companies.

(1) OJ C 226, 8.8.2000, p. 56.
(2) OJ C 365 E, 19.12.2000, p. 238.
(3) OJ C 144, 16.5.2001, p. 60.

3.

Strongly supports Commission measures aimed at simpli-
fying national licensing procedures.

C 19/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22.1.2002

4.

Reiterates the view expressed in its previous opinions that
the success of
telecommunications regulatory policy
cannot be reliably evaluated at national level, as regional
differences in telecommunications provision are continu-
ally growing and diverging from national averages.

5. Hopes therefore that the next follow-up report will pay
greater attention to regional market differences, and
in particular to examining the implementation of the
universal service obligation in the new regulatory frame-
work, local competition and consumer interests.

6.

7.

Emphasises that, in accordance with their responsibility
for the development of their area, local authorities must
continue to be able to influence decisions on the siting of
antennae and cables in line with general spatial-planning,
environmental and public health-related objectives, and
does not consider the problems encountered by telecom-
munications operators as an issue of the same importance
to society as the above-mentioned objectives.

Like the Commission, considers it extremely important
from the perspective of European competitiveness, for
the pricing and penetration of leased internet lines and
regional coverage to draw closer to US levels, and
emphasises the importance of examining the role of the
Structural Funds in regions where competition will not
bring about improvements.

8. Notes that a major obstacle, particularly to the expansion

Brussels, 20 September 2001.

local competition,

of
in spite of regulatory
is that
requirements for separate accounting, content and net-
work service business interests are still too closely related,
and points in this connection to the positive experience
of increased competition in content services which has
resulted from local authority investment in information
networks.

9. Agrees with the importance of promoting competition in
broadband ADSL services for achieving the objectives of
the eEurope programme, but hopes that future reports
will also examine the development of the geographical
penetration of ADSL services from the perspective of the
regulatory framework, as in many areas these services are
still not available and they do not fall within the universal
service obligation.

10. Stresses the need,

in this field requiring innovative
development, to strike the right balance between open
competition and regulation so that achieving a dominant
market position is also considered to be a valid objective
of company product development.

11. Wishes to draw the Commission’s attention to the
new competition generated by various new alternative
technologies on the market which has reduced the need
for regulation, and therefore advocates a flexible approach
so that the quantity of regulation can also be reduced in
the future, as ultimately it is the consumer who must pay
for the additional cost to companies of this regulation.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Jos CHABERT