Directive on telecommunications interconnection The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have adopted a Directive on interconnection in telecommunications aimed at ensuring universal service and interoperability through application of the principles of Open Network Provision (ONP). The Directive aims t... The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have adopted a Directive on interconnection in telecommunications aimed at ensuring universal service and interoperability through application of the principles of Open Network Provision (ONP). The Directive aims to establish a regulatory framework which will allow different operators and service suppliers to connect their networks and ensure interoperability of services. In particular, it aims to ensure that a universal service can be provided in an open and competitive market. It concerns the harmonization of conditions for open and efficient interconnection of, and access to, public telecommunications networks and publicly available telecommunications services. Member States are required to take necessary measures to remove any restrictions preventing organizations, authorized to provide telecoms services, from negotiating interconnection agreements, with similar organizations in either the same or a different Member State. The Directive notes that telecoms organizations have both a right to negotiate interconnections, and an obligation to negotiate interconnection with other telecoms organizations. It lays down provisions concerning contributions towards universal service obligations by telecoms organizations, and sets out principles for charging for interconnection. Other areas covered by the Directive include the principles of non-discrimination and transparency, the responsibilities of national regulatory authorities, and dispute settlement procedures. The current interconnection Directive is part of the Community's telecommunications liberalization package, under which the Internal Market in telecommunications services is to be liberalized from 1 January 1998 in most Member States. A number of Member States have short extensions to this deadline. The Directive is therefore to be transposed into national legislation by 31 December 1997, in order to meet the liberalization deadline.
