Conclusion of WTO telecommunications agreement
The Commission has adopted proposal for a Council Decision concluding, on behalf of the Community, the results of the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on basic telecommunications services. The Council is requested to approve the Fourth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services, which was agreed in April 1997 in the WTO negotiations. Once this protocol enters into force on 1 January 1998, it will lead to the liberalization of basic telecommunications services throughout the world, covering around 90% of telecoms revenues. The protocol should be signed before 30 November 1997, in order to come into force on schedule. In this case, since it covers areas not within the Community's exclusive competence, the Member States must also each sign the protocol before the deadline.