Amended proposal on guidelines for trans-European telecommunications networks
The European Commission has published an amended proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision on a series of guidelines for trans-European telecommunications networks. The guidelines cover the objectives, priorities and broad lines of measures and domains for projects of common interest in the field of trans-European telecommunications networks. The Commission intends to publish calls for proposals in order to select specific projects of common interest in the field. The amended proposal calls for particular attention to be paid to SMEs and less-developed or peripheral regions. It stresses the importance of EURO-ISDN, the network on which the trans-European applications will be deployed in the immediate future. In particular, the amended proposal highlights the importance of coordination between the networks and the different Community programmes, particularly the specific programmes of the Fourth Framework Programme for research and technological development. It also draws attention to the need for coordination between the implementation of the proposals chosen and similar initiatives adopted at national or regional level.