Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the  Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council repealing Council Directive 90/544/EEC on the frequency bands designated for the coordinated introduction of pan-European land-based public radio paging in the Community (COM(2005) 361 final — 2005/0147 (COD))
Date: 2005-10-27
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: disabled person, electronic mail, public safety, service, social integration, telecommunications, transmission network, waveband

C 28/88

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

3.2.2006

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Directive of the
European Parliament and of the Council repealing Council Directive 90/544/EEC on the frequency
bands designated for the coordinated introduction of pan-European land-based public radio paging
in the Community’

(COM(2005) 361 final — 2005/0147 (COD))

(2006/C 28/19)

On 15 September 2005, the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 95 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

On 27 September 2005, the Committee Bureau instructed the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure
and the Information Society to prepare the Committee's work on the subject.

In view of the urgency of the matter, at its421st plenary session, held on 26 and 27 October 2005
(meeting of 27 October) the European Economic and Social Committee appointed Mr Retureau as rappor-
teur-general and adopted the following opinion by 66 votes with 2 abstentions.

1. Commission proposal

The proposed directive (1) aims to repeal the ERMES
1.1
Directive of 1990 (2) which reserved the 169.4 to 169.8 MHz
radio spectrum band for the European radio paging service. A
directive is necessary to repeal a previous directive (principle of
congruent forms).

1.2
Legal basis: Article 95 EC Treaty (Internal market, appli-
cation of Article 14 EC Treaty); coordination procedure (Article
251 EC Treaty).

1.3
Grounds: use of this frequency band for radio paging is
falling into disuse, and the band spectrum is used less and less.
It is already being used for other applications (SMS by GSM).
Within the framework of the ‘radio spectrum decision’ of the
European Parliament and of
the
Commission wants to introduce other services through a
harmonised plan of use, drawn up in conjunction with the
CEPT (4), which will be the subject of a later Commission Deci-
sion.

the Council of 2002 (3),

The main Community uses of the 169.4 to 169.8 MHz
1.4
frequency band will
inclusion and
include increased social
mobility for hearing impaired and elderly people in the Com-
munity (5), enhanced protection against theft, safety through

Brussels, 27 October 2005

more efficient monitoring capabilities by utilities companies
and appropriate electronic communications tools; a positive
impact is stressed for the radio communication services sector.

1.5 Member States will be able to allocate to the national
level any frequencies in sectors of the above band that are not
allocated at Community level by the Commission and the
CEPT.

2. Committee comments

2.1
Radio spectrum requirements in order to develop new
services are constantly increasing, and the proposal to repeal
the Radio Paging Directive aims to open up a currently under-
used sector of the spectrum to new applications, in particular
for disabled persons, elderly people, increasing safety, mobile
services, etc.

2.2
The Committee therefore endorses the proposal, in the
particular hope that services relating to social inclusion will be
developed as a priority, and that it will lead to the creation of
companies and jobs in activities that are essential for European
citizens. It also calls on the Member States to give priority to
social
inclusion and employment in the information society
when allocating frequencies to new radio services.

The President
of the European Economic and Social Committee
Anne-Marie SIGMUND

(1) COM(2005) 361 final.
(2) Council Directive 90/544/EEC of 9.10.1990 on the frequency bands
designated for the coordinated introduction of pan-European land-
based public radio paging in the Community (ERMES Directive).
(3) Decision No 676/2002/EC of the European Parliament and the
Council of 7.3.2002 on a regulatory framework for radio spectrum
policy in the European Community (Radio Spectrum Decision).
(4) European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Adminis-
from CEPT, Radio Spectrum
report
the frequency band 169.4-169.8’ MHz,

trations
Committee,
review of
RSCOM04-69, Brussels, 24.11.2004.

(CEPT). V.

‘final

(5) Framework Directive 2002/21/EC, which requires the needs of
special social groups, especially disabled people, to be addressed;
Conclusions of the Vitoria Informal Council of Telecoms ministers,
requiring all electronic services to be accessible to disabled and
elderly people; and the eEurope action plan adopted by the Council
on 21 and 22 June 2002 in Seville.