Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-25-Speech-3-346"
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". – The night sessions are not always the greatest pleasure in the European Parliament but tonight, I must say, it has been an extremely pleasant and positive debate. I share the view of those who consider this issue to be historic. It is historic in two ways.
Secondly, to ensure transparency by other operators we will have to publish a reference offer for the access conditions to the local loop and associated facilities such as co-location, including pricing, under the scrutiny of the national regulatory authority in order to ensure fairness. Here I am happy to note that the national regulatory authorities want to cooperate to make this effective everywhere.
Finally, the regulations to unbundle the local loop will allow new entrants all types of access modalities where technically feasible, full unbundling and shared access to global loops and sub-loops. This maximises technical innovation, greater competition and choice for users. The Commission accepts in full all 18 amendments to the Clegg report. They improve the Commission's proposal, providing for more accurate technical definitions and more specific requirements of the national players and national regulatory authorities. These amendments are constructive and will ensure that the regulation is fully operational. Thus they guarantee that unbundling is rapidly and effectively implemented from 31 December 2000.
The Commission also hopes that the Council will approve the text as amended in the report and hopefully accepted by Parliament tomorrow. Then the Council would be able to complete the codecision policy in one reading.
First of all, we will now complete the long march towards liberalisation of telecommunications. This also serves the interests of universal service. When we increase competition in the networks it will cut prices, improve quality and make the services more affordable. It will help to create an inclusive information society.
Secondly, it is historic in the sense that we have replied to a question which is often asked: Is Europe too slow to act? Are we able to seize the opportunity of information technology? There is a lot of suspicion around. Can Community institutions ever make it? If Parliament were to accept tomorrow the Clegg report we would show that we can. We can show that we are able to act in Internet time. We will have concrete proof, which would increase enormously the credibility of the European Union, especially in the eyes of the younger generation which lives in this age of the Internet.
None of this would not be possible without excellent cooperation between the institutions. I should like to thank the rapporteur, Mr Clegg, for the excellent work he has done, and also the whole committee. It would have not have been possible without profound knowledge of the issue. Neither would it have been possible without a strong will to negotiate, with many partners.
I also thank the Council presidency, which has been very firm and very determined to drive this issue through. In many Member States it has been a very sensitive and complicated matter.
Mr Gallagher and Mr Haarder raised a few issues in this context. It really is a key part of the
Europe action plan to liberalise the telecommunications market to make the prices cheap and the quality of service higher. At the same time we must remember that this is one side of the coin. On the other side, we need people with skills and qualifications who can use these services. So we must continue to invest in the education of all people, young and old alike.
Insofar as the implementation of this regulation is concerned, yesterday the national regulators had a meeting with Commission officials. They agreed to try to accelerate the implementation on this regulation and to do it in as harmonised a way as possible, so as to have a strong European market in this sector.
The Commission can also welcome practically everything in the report. The report is supportive of the objectives and draft measures included in the Commission proposal. I should just like to mention three of those.
First, the aim is to mandate operators not defined as having significant market power in the provision of fixed telephony networks to provide unbundled access to the metallic local loop from 31 December 2000 under transparent, non-discriminatory and cost-oriented conditions."@en1
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