Series of guidelines for trans-European telecommunications networks

The amended proposal incorporated, in whole or in part, 22 of the 35 amendments adopted by the EP at first reading. The amendments accepted by the Commission: - called for special attention for SMEs and less developed or peripheral regions; - underlined the importance of the Euro-ISDN; - stressed coordination with other initiatives; - stressed applications corresponding to real needs not met by market forces: these corresponded to the applications of collective interest for which priority was proposed; - brought the text of the proposal closer to the wording of the Treaty; - clarified the real nature of the work programme being prepared by the Commission at this stage; - stressed the importance of providing non-proprietary tools for development of new applications; - drew attention to important social aspects of teleworking; - added to the points on 'distance education and training', telematics and transport, telematics services for the job market, and cultural and linguistic heritage. The Commission also accepted in principle the amendments: - stressing the need for coordination of Community programmes: it stated that effective coordination needed to be ensured between the implementation of the trans-European telecommunications networks, which must address real-world concerns, excluding experimental projects, and the various Community programmes (specific RTD programmes, programmes for SMEs, INFO 2000, Media 2); - mentioning the need to use, on a synergetic basis, all appropriate forms of aid for TEN activities; - inserting a clear definition of the transnational nature of the projects: it stated that projects must be transnational in the sense that they should be conceived to satisfy needs existing in several Member States and to be implemented in several Member States. �