Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-02-14-Speech-2-473-000"
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"en.20120214.23.2-473-000"2
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"Madam President, I am delighted that Parliament and the Council have reached agreement on the radio spectrum policy programme. As you know, the Council confirmed this last December and I am confident that Parliament will do so tomorrow. I want in particular to praise the efforts made by the rapporteur. For me it is ‘Spectrum Gunnar’ – not ‘Speedy Gonzalez’, but ‘Spectrum Gunnar’. Mr Hökmark and the shadow rapporteurs were of great help, and the Chair was also of great help in achieving this result.
Adopting this programme is a significant step forward. We know the importance of spectrum for the digital world. For instance, mobile data usage in Europe is almost doubling every year – driven by a rocketing smartphone market and increasing demand for online audiovisual content. In that world, constraints on spectrum availability are constraints on economic growth, as has rightly been said, and would make it harder to reach our target of broadband for all.
This programme opens the door for significant achievements in the coming years. First, by 2013, we will open the key 800 MHz band for next generation wireless communications. Second, we will create a European inventory to support efficient spectrum use, using it to identify by 2015 at least 1 200 MHz of harmonised spectrum for wireless broadband. Third, we will guarantee competition in the use of spectrum. Fourth, we will meet the need for spectrum in sectors like transport, energy, the environment, earth observation, civil protection and the internet of things. Fifth, we will support Member States and enhance EU coordination in international spectrum negotiations. The 2012 World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC) in Geneva, which is going on as I speak, is a good example. I would remind you that, without affecting the compromise, the Commission has attached three statements to the Council minutes.
Let me now briefly update you on the ongoing negotiations in Geneva. Clearly I cannot give you a full assessment until after proceedings are complete, later this week. That full assessment will be covered in a staff working paper to be presented to you very soon. However, at this stage it seems probable that the EU’s objectives, as highlighted in particular in Parliament’s resolution of last September, should broadly be achieved, particularly those on the need for more broadband spectrum, on protecting Galileo, and on short-range devices.
A new issue also arose during the WRC negotiations relating to the possible use of the 700 MHz band for wireless broadband, based on a proposal by African and Arab countries which did not want to wait until 2015 to have a discussion on this subject. This is obviously a sensitive issue, but the programme discussed today gives us the policy line and tools to deal with it.
Remember, tomorrow’s economy will be digital. A coherent spectrum programme provides the rails on which that economy will run. To ensure significant success, I invite the honourable Members of this Parliament to approve the Council’s position, in line with the compromise reached on 24 October 2011."@en1
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