Activites

• 1995/07/03 Final act published in Official Journal
• 1995/06/15 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0298/1995 summary

    Adopting the report by Mr Herman, the European Parliament welcomed the content of the Commission draft. However, the European Parliament warned the Commission against the tendency to underestimate the importance of public service functions and the constraints attached to them and called on it to define the concept of public service quickly. It was against unilateral liberalization which would only affect the telecommunications sector by giving cable operators an unfair competitive advantage. The European Parliament also proposed that the reciprocal liberalization of audiovisual broadcasts via telephone lines should not be authorized until 2000, rather than in 1998 as initially planned.�

• 1995/06/14 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur supported the abolition of the restrictions on the use of cable television networks for the provision of telecommunications services other than voice telephony. Me HERMAN (EPP, B) could accept the legal basis chosen by the Commission (Article 90(3)), in spite of the PSE’s opposition. The rapporteur felt that if cable TV operators were allowed to compete with telecommunications operators there should be an element of reciprocity. He also felt that it was essential to make provision for transitional periods and recommended the liberalisation of audiovisual broadcasts via telephone lines by 2000. Mr BANGEMANN began by highlighting the differences between the Member States: on the one hand, France and Germany, which were not sufficiently liberalised, risked having to pay a great deal for their delay; on the other hand, Spain and Luxembourg would be ready by 1 January 1998. As far as the amendments were concerned, the Commissioner would incorporate those on voice telephony in the Directive on that subject. He agreed with Amendments Nos 1 and 2 but opposed the equalisation of charges among the various categories of service and geographical areas; he preferred charges to be based on the costs. He also supported the principle of the separation of accounts. As regards the universal service, it was vital to reconcile liberalisation or deregulation with harmonisation.

• #1854
• 1995/06/13 Council Meeting
  • 1854 summary

    The Council adopted the following conclusions on the draft Commission Directive amending Commission Directive 90/388/EEC regarding the abolition of the restrictions on the use of cable television networks for the provision of telecommunications services. ‘The COUNCIL: - TAKES NOTE of the request put to it by the Commission, on 27 February 1995, concerning any comments the Council might have on the draft Commission Directive amending Directive 90/388/EEC regarding the abolition of the restrictions on the use of cable television networks for the provision of telecommunications services; - EMPHASISES that this draft is to be viewed in the light of the Telecommunications Council meeting on 17 November 1994, resulting in the Council Resolution of 22 December 1994 and statements made on that occasion; - NOTES that, when the draft was examined by the Council’s subordinate bodies, a series of complex questions, the main subjects of which are listed in the Annex, were put to the Commission by delegations; - NOTES that, after giving some initial answers, the Commission undertook to submit more precise written replies; - TAKES NOTE of the working document presented by the Commission; - TAKES NOTE of the public consultations held by the Commission following publication of its draft Directive in the Official Journal of the European Communities; - INVITES those Member States which so wish to forward their detailed comments as soon as possible to the Commission and to the other Member States, via the General Secretariat of the Council, particularly in the light of the Commission’s written replies; - EMPHASISES that these conclusions are without prejudice to Member States’ positions on the form and content of the draft Directive put forward by the Commission; - CALLS UPON the Commission to give the greatest consideration to these positions in following up the procedure initiated. Annex MAIN SUBJECTS OF THE QUESTIONS PUT TO THE COMMISSION - Scope; - distortion of competition, inter alia: = transparent and non-discriminatory access; = position of national operators; - discrimination; - operators concerned; - interconnections; - reciprocity; - timetable; - transitional periods; - interaction with public voice telephony; - accompanying measures; - authorisations; - accounting requirements.’

• 1995/05/31 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0129/1995
• 1995/04/25 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1994/12/21 Non-legislative basic document published
  • N4-0120/1995 summary

    The purpose of the Commission's draft directive is to abolish restrictions on the use of cable television networks for the provision of liberalised telecommunications services, especially multimedia services, throughout the Union from 1 January 1996. Under the terms of Article 90 of the EC Treaty, it is up to the Commission to adopt this directive amending Directive 90/388/EEC on the liberalisation of services. The directive makes provision for safeguards designed to prevent operators from using a dominant market position to impose dumping prices on other operators and obliges the Member States to monitor transfers of subsidies between reserved and liberalised services where the same operator provides both types of service.�

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: N4-0120/1995
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0129/1995
• Debate in Council: 1854
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0298/1995

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)