Telecommunications: Implementation of full competition in markets (amend. Direct. 90/388/EEC)

In adopting the report by Mrs Imelda Mary READ (PSE, UK), the European Parliament approved the draft directive on full competition in telecommunications markets, whilst proposing a series of amendments aimed at: - doing away with the automatic granting of long additional transition periods for Member States with less-developed networks or very small networks. An additional transition period of up to five years could be available if it were effectively justified by the necessity of implementing structural adjustments; - ensuring consumer protection, particularly with regard to continuity in numbering in the case of a change of service provider; - ensuring that the rates applied by the telecommunications organizations for interconnection to their networks reasonably reflect the cost of providing the service; pricing must be transparent, and any discounts or special rates for tailor-made interconnection packages must be granted on a non-discriminatory basis; - requiring public telecommunications network operators to provide open and non-discriminatory access where competitors do not have economic alternatives and giving public notification of the interconnection terms; - requiring all providers of services to contribute to the provision and financing of the universal service obligation (the Commission proposed limiting participation in this obligation to providers of voice telephony services and public telecommunications networks); - ensuring that Member States guarantee that technical equipment is connected to any new network and that telecommunications organizations cannot restrict such connection. Parliament regrets the use of the procedure provided by Article 90 of the EC Treaty which, whilst justified as a means of stepping up the pace of liberalization, cannot replace the EC Treaty's Article 100a procedure. �