A4-0129/95

Resolution concerning 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 (C4-0120/95)

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 59 and 90(3) thereof,

-having regard to the draft Commission directive, C4-0120/95,

-having regard to its resolutions of 20 April 1993 on the Commission's 1992 review of the situation in the telecommunications sevices sector, 30 November 1994 on the recommendation to the European Council: 'Europe and the global information society' and the communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament and to the Economic and Social Committee and the the Committee of the Regions: 'Europe's way to the information society: an action plan' and 7 April 1995 on the communication from the Commission 'Green Paper on the liberalization of telecommunications infrastructure and cable television networks' (Part one: principle and timetable),

-having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy and the opinions of the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy and the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media (A4-0129/95),

A.whereas the development of the services and applications of the information society presupposes the existence of a sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure of a kind which will make a radical cut in user costs possible,

B.whereas the widespread establishment of broad-band networks will call for a substantial investment of time and money,

C.whereas the technical resources currently available, while not matching the definition of the future 'information highways', should nevertheless pave the way for substantial qualitative and quantitative advances in the desired direction,

D.whereas the cable television networks offer considerable scope for supplying individual users,

E.whereas only limited investment will be required to bring these networks into line with telecommunications service needs, and whereas they can quickly be turned into a competitive alternative to the infrastructure in the hands of telecommunications operators,

F.whereas, further, the recent progress achieved in the treatment of numerical signals, in particular data compression, has paved the way for increased use of the telephone network through the transmission on that network of audiovisual programmes,

G.whereas, despite the acknowledged advantages of competition in respect of telecommunications and cable television, and despite the undertakings given in the Treaty, the Member States have not brought into line their legislation on telecommunications and cable television,

1.Welcomes the substance of the draft Commission directive;

2.Warns the Commission against the tendency to underestimate the importance of public service tasks and the related constraints and calls on it once again to give as quickly as possible, in connection with the liberalization of various sectors, a definition of the concept of public service;

3.Opposes moves towards unilateral liberalization which would affect only the telecommunications sector, thereby giving cable network operators an unfair competitive advantage;

4.Points out that the liberalization envisaged by the draft Commission directive merely anticipates the larger-scale opening up to competition scheduled for 1 January 1998 and calls on the Commission to ensure that its measures are consistent with the rules based on Article 100a of the Treaty now being drawn up, particularly as regards the universal service;

5.Calls, therefore, on the Commission to alter its text by incorporating the following proposed modifications:

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