Application of ONP to leased lines
A Council Directive of 5 June 1992 on the application of open network provision to leased lines (92/44/EEC) concerns the harmonization of conditions for open access to and use of leased lines provided by public telecommunications networks, and the availability throughout the Community of a minimum set of leased lines with harmonized technical characteristics. The Directive (published in OJ No L 165 of 19.6.1992) applies the principles of Open Network Provision (ONP) to leased lines, providing for the implementation of the basic principles of transparency, non-discrimination and the use of objective criteria for the conditions of access to and use of leased lines. It covers the removal of restrictions on leased line usage which are no longer justified, and establishes the right of the user to have access in all Member States to a set of leased lines with harmonized technical characteristics. Member States shall ensure that information in respect of leased lines (technical characteristics, tariffs, supply and usage conditions, licensing and declaration requirements, conditions for attachment of terminal equipment) is published in a specified format, as annexed to the Decision, and shall encourage the establishment, by 31 December 1993 at the latest, of a common ordering procedure, with one-stop ordering and billing on user request. Transparency and cost-orientation of tariffs and cost accounting systems is to be established by the same date. The national regulatory authorities shall have the task of ensuring that rules governing access to and use of leased lines are fully implemented and respected, and shall make available to the Commission annual statistical reports on performance in relation to supply conditions (particularly delivery time and repair time). A conciliation procedure shall be introduced for the settlement of disputes. Adoption of the Directive is considered a significant stage towards achieving the single market in European telecommunications.