Open network provision (ONP), voice telephony

Since the Council had confirmed its common position, the Committee on Economic Affairs adopted Mrs Read's second draft recommendation. The main amendments proposed by the rapporteur called for: - the establishment of a flexible, rapid procedure for making technical adjustments, taking account of the views of the Member States, the telecommunications organisations, users, parts and equipment manufacturers, service providers and the trade unions, and involving the ONP Committee; - the Council and Parliament to be consulted again if a significant new proposal was submitted; - users to have a contract setting out the service to be provided by a telecommunications organisation, and for the national regulatory authorities to require arrangements to be made for compensation and/or a refund where the service provided for in the contract failed to meet the relevant quality levels; - users to receive a swift explanation setting out the reasons why an application for special access to the network was turned down; - the replacement of the regulatory committee provided for by the Council for the application of Community convergence and the adaptation to technical progress of the annexes to the directive by an advisory committee to keep Parliament informed, in order to enable Parliament or the Council to demand consultation on any major points of principle.�