Commission proposes amendments to Directive on the implementation of full competition in telecommunications
The European Commission has published a draft Directive amending Directive 90/388/EEC on the implementation of full competition in telecommunications markets. This draft Directive would notably end the exception granted, under the previous Directive, with regard to the maintenance of special and exclusive rights in the area of voice telephony services. The Commission believes that this exception is no longer justified and that all such rights should be withdrawn as of 1 January 1998 - the date foreseen for the liberalization of all public voice telephony services. In particular, the draft Directive calls on Member States to withdraw all legislative measures granting: - Exclusive rights for the supply of telecommunications services or networks; - Special rights which limit the number of undertakings authorized to supply such services or networks to two or more, other than according to objective, proportional and non-discriminatory criteria; - Special rights which designate several competing undertakings to provide such services or networks, other than according to the above criteria. Member States with less well-developed or small networks will, however, be allowed to request additional specified transition periods in order to achieve the necessary structural adjustments. The draft Directive is published together with a notice from the Commission inviting interested parties to submit their observations on this proposal prior to its adoption (see RCN 5007).