Telecommunications : competitive environment (amend. Directives 90/387/EEC, 92/44/EEC)

The rapporteur was keen to congratulate the Dutch Presidency which had succeeded in imposing a solution close to that advanced by Parliament, even if some Council members did not share this view. He also congratulated the Commission which had understood the relevance of the EP’s amendments. Mr Herman also mentioned a number of problems which remained unresolved. For example, he highlighted the need for the national regulatory authorities to be independent and the importance of avoiding competition distortions when extending the universal service. Finally, he regretted the Commission’s timidity about the need to have a European telecommunications authority and that the comitology problems had not been resolved in Amsterdam. Commissioner Bangemann stressed the need to ensure fair competition. As regards an independent European authority, the Commissioner insisted that any blockages were not due to the Commission.