Council Resolution reviews the telecommunications sector and the need for market development
The European Council considers that Community telecommunications policy should aim to achieve the following long-term goals: - The liberalization of all public voice telephony services, while maintaining universal service; - Ensuring the balance between liberalization and harmonization in an evolving market; - The examination of progress of structural adjustment; - The working out of a future policy for telecommunications infrastructure. The present Resolution supports the Commission's intention to prepare, before 1 January 1996, the necessary amendments to the Community regulatory framework in order to achieve liberalization of all public voice telephony services by 1 January 1998. The Council urges the Member States to promote the progressive rebalancing of tariffs towards cost orientation together with the continuing development of universal service to all users at reasonable charges. Member States are urged to provide for the necessary financial, organizational, and management independence of telecommunication organizations in order for them to prepare for the competitive environment. The Council also supports the Commission's intention to publish a Green Paper on mobile/personal communications (before 1 January 1994) and a Green Paper on the future policy for telecommunications on infrastructure and cable TV networks (before 1 January 1995).