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Reform of EU telecom rules gets first approval
The European Parliament has approved the draft proposals for reforms to the EU telecoms rules, including the promotion of the European emergency number 112.
On 24 September 2008, in its first reading, the European Parliament approved in plenary session the Commission’s proposal of November 2007 to reform the rules governing the Internet and telecoms sectors in place since 2003.
With regard to radio spectrum policy, reforms have been adopted in order to better exploit radio frequencies freed by the gradual transition from analogue services to digital ones. The Parliament, backing more flexibility and harmonisation in spectrum use, agreed that its management and allocation should be controlled mainly by the Member States, with only some frequencies managed at EU level.
According to MEPs, the European emergency number 112 needs to be better known and emergency phone services must be strengthen in the EU. Moreover, users must be able to call all EU numbers, including emergency numbers, whether using landline, mobile or VOIP.
Some of the provisions, initially proposed by the Commission, have been amended by the Parliament. For instance MEPs rejected the Commission's proposal to establish a strong, centralised new EU Regulator authority and voted in a favour of a weaker one - Body of European Regulators in Telecoms (BERT), which would share veto powers with the Commission.
With regard to investment in next-generation networks, the Parliament upgraded the original Commission’s provision and proposed a series of measures to spur investment in high-speed fibre optical broadband networks.However, the legislative phase is not finished yet and the Council of Telecoms Ministers, scheduled for the end of November, should vote on this package.
