3 . SUPPORT USERS AND INTERMEDIARIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFORMATION MARKET IN THE MEMBER STATES OF THE COMMUNITY ;
4 . ENCOURAGE THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND METHODOLOGIES TO INFORMATION SERVICES .
THE FIRST TWO OBJECTIVES HAVE MOST PRIORITY AT PRESENT ; THE REMAINING TWO ARE COMPLEMENTARY AND WILL CONSIST MAINLY , FOR THE PERIOD OF THE THIRD PLAN OF ACTION , OF MONITORING AND ASSESSING DEVELOPMENTS , CARRYING OUT EXPLORATORY STUDIES , COORDINATING NATIONAL VIEWS AND ACTIVITIES , IDENTIFYING ACTION WHICH MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE AT COMMUNITY LEVEL AND DEFINING PROJECTS TO IMPLEMENT SUCH ACTION .
SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS MUST BE MADE UNDER THE THIRD PLAN OF ACTION IN THE FIELD OF INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION TO ACHIEVE ALL THE OBJECTIVES LAID DOWN BY THE COUNCIL IN ITS RESOLUTION OF 24 JUNE 1971 AND TO HELP PREPARE THE COMMUNITY AND ITS ECONOMY , INDUSTRY , SCIENCE , RESEARCH AND ADMINISTRATION , TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF THE 1980 ' S .
THE THIRD PLAN OF ACTION COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING FOUR PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS :
1 . EURONET AS A PUBLIC NETWORK BY 1983
THE EURONET NETWORK , WHICH HAS BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE NOVEMBER 1979 , WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER CAPACITY SINCE MID-1980 :
- WILL BE MANAGED UNTIL THE END OF 1983 BY THE NATIONAL POSTAL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATIONS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE COMMISSION , WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO CO-FINANCE ANY OPERATING DEFICIT . THE MEANS OF ACCOUNTING FOR THE DEFICIT MUST BE RE-NEGOTIATED ON THE BASIS OF MAINTENANCE COSTS HAVING DUE REGARD TO THE DELAY IN BRINGING THE NETWORK INTO SERVICE AND THE EMERGENCE OF PARALLEL NATIONAL NETWORKS ;
- MUST BE EXTENDED , IN PARTICULAR TO GREECE AND WITHIN ALL MEMBER STATES , IN ORDER TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO THE EVOLVING DEMAND FOR INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION . THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY NECESSARY EXTENSIONS SHOULD INCREASINGLY REST WITH THE POSTAL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATIONS AND COMMUNITY FUNDS SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR REGIONAL EXTENSIONS WITHIN MEMBER STATES ;
- SHOULD BE INTERCONNECTED WITH OTHER NETWORKS IN EUROPE , ON THE BASIS OF THE COOPERATION AGREEMENTS STIPULATED IN ARTICLE 3 OF THIS DECISION ; CONNECTIONS WITH NETWORKS OF NON-EUROPEAN INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES SHOULD BE BASED ON RECIPROCITY AND SHOULD INCORPORATE GUARANTEES OF TRAFFIC IN BOTH DIRECTIONS , WHILE RESPECTING THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE TREATY AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE INTERESTS OF THE DIANE NETWORK ; OPPORTUNITY SHOULD BE TAKEN , WHENEVER POSSIBLE , TO EXTEND THE SERVICES OFFERED BY THIS NETWORK TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES , INCLUDING THOSE PARTY TO THE LOME CONVENTION ;
- MUST CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THE ACTIVE SUPPORT OF THE LAUNCH TEAM AS LONG AS NECESSARY ;
- WILL REQUIRE MEASURES , IN PARTICULAR BY THE POSTAL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATIONS , TO PROMOTE THIRD PARTY TRAFFIC IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE A BETTER FINANCIAL BALANCE ;
- MUST MAKE A SMOOTH AND GRADUAL TRANSITION TO THE STATUS OF A PUBLIC NETWORK BY THE END OF 1983 , WHEN IT WILL BECOME THE SOLE MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF