Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-03-14-Speech-2-024"
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".
Mr President, allow me to thank the draftsmen of the opinions and all the Members who have been involved in this issue, which is extremely important not only for economic and industrial development, but also for the welfare of our societies.
Some of you raised the issue of the regulatory framework. I will be quite clear on that matter: the Telecoms regulation − which is a very positive example that we are considering using as a basis for reforming the market and regulatory framework in the fields of transport and energy − was intended not to regulate but to deregulate, to open up the markets to competition.
Our statistics demonstrate one thing: where markets are open to competition, prices fall and the take-up of technologies among the citizens rises considerably. In contrast, where markets are closed, where there are monopolies, the take-up is non-existent because there is no choice on the market and because prices are too high. Look at the statistics on broadband, for example, and you will see that only competition can make this market work, but − as I said before − competition only in markets that can be competitive. We need correctives in markets that are too expensive for industrial economics; in other words, regional policy must pay attention to the regions remote from urban centres.
That said, the regulatory framework is in the review phase. I have launched the initial discussions, and before the summer I will present to you a review of the markets concerned and an initial draft reforming the telecoms package. Consultations on this subject will start in the second half of the year, and at the end of the year I will present to you a new telecoms package, which will be much simpler than the telecoms package on the table or in force. However − and I would like to make this quite clear − this new package will not allow new monopolies to become established: I am quite resolute on that point.
Some of you also mentioned roaming. As you probably know, last summer I announced that I would not put up with excessive prices for much longer; you will remember that last October I published a price comparison on a website. I am in the process of making a comparison of the price changes since October. Because I was frustrated with those price changes, I announced a regulation to reduce them, and, miracle of miracles, since I announced the regulation, international roaming fees have dropped, which is a good thing.
In a few weeks, I will let you know what I am going to do in that regard and I will tell you whether or not we need to regulate. I think we will need to regulate, and I will therefore submit to you a regulation to ensure that international roaming fees are based on true costs and not on fantasy prices that strain household budgets.
I would like to start by responding briefly to Mr Paasilinna's question regarding information. There are two levels of information, the first being benchmarking, which takes place on an annual basis. I am aware, Mr Paasilinna, that this benchmarking and these figures could be improved. I too sometimes find it frustrating not to have statistics underlining the importance of the sector and its development. One of the difficulties is that the sector is not stable, but moving fast. We therefore need to review our information virtually every two or three months.
The second level is the information received by consumers. In this respect, it is very important that we take things in hand. For example, I have just launched a survey and consultations regarding RFIDs, because I think we need to develop the RFID economy and industry and also to discuss, with consumer associations and privacy protection bodies, the influence of new technologies on citizens and also, perhaps, the measures that we need to take to protect citizens better. Efforts are thus being made, and I am counting on the European Parliament to be the spokesman for these discussions on citizenship.
Mr President, allow me to respond briefly to some of the questions raised.
Almost all of the speakers have quite justifiably mentioned Internet security. The Internet is a wonderful thing, but, just like any other wonderful thing, it also has a negative side: that includes abuse of the Internet. That is why, in the coming weeks, we are going to present a communication on spam, spyware and malware. This was the subject of a seminar on 'Trust in the Net' held in February under the Austrian Presidency. It is why we are working with child protection and women's protection bodies. There are criminals operating on the Net and we need to put up barriers to stop them. To this end, in terms of research, in 2007 we are going to present the European Security Research Programme covering all the fields – encryption, biometrics, smart cards, authentication, RFIDs, and so on – in which security problems must remain uppermost in our minds.
Another recurrent theme, which was quite rightly brought up by all the speakers, is the digital divide and regional development. If we give competition free rein, it will of course develop in places where there will be a return on the investment, in other words in our towns. Our policies therefore need to enable new technologies to develop outside our towns as well. The Commission will be presenting an initiative in this connection at the end of this month, covering both rural and regional development.
A third theme that was raised by some Members is skills levels and in particular the need for specific measures for women. With respect to skills, we are already aware that, in the technology sector, economic development is currently displaying a deficit of 15% due to a lack of technicians and engineers. It is therefore of prime importance that we reform education in this field. We also have statistics showing a lack of women in the sector. I must admit that those statistics are not as bad as I had initially thought – women are doing better than is generally thought. We should therefore not be too alarmed, but we do need to take action. Therefore, together with the Commissioner responsible for education and the Commissioner responsible for research, we are going to draw up a roadmap to improve the involvement of women both in science training and in research. We are also encouraging women researchers to get more involved in technology research.
In 2007 we are also going to present a European guide to best practice in the field. I fully support the call for funding for ICT research. I must tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that today's technological successes − GSM, for example, which has become a worldwide standard, is based on European research − are based on research from the 1980s. If we want to remain at the cutting edge of global technological progress in future, it is today's research that will provide tomorrow's results. Therefore, if we do not invest in research, we can be sure that, in future, no economic sector will grow in this regard.
Thus, when I ask for enough funding for technological research, I am not doing it for my own pleasure, but to develop the economy, and hence to create jobs for the future, here in Europe, and to prevent businesses relocating outside Europe."@en1
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