Brussels, 20/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 20 December, the Cypriot minister for communications, Efthemios Flourentzou, gave an update at the Telecoms Council of work on the file on the re-use of public sector information. The Council had held a debate on this subject during its June session (see EUROPE 10630). European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes said that this was an essential resource and the occasion should not be missed. Several member states have already begun the process (particularly Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom) and have recorded good results, Kroes said. The question on which the delegations had initially expressed the most divergent points of view is on the excess charge of the marginal costs. Many delegations were in favour of limits and stricter rules to preserve the proposal's level of ambition. Moreover, many delegations said that due account should be taken of the specific situation of certain public sector organisms by providing for greater flexibility. Taking account of these divergent positions, the Presidency brought the points of view closer together and defined a closed list of exceptional cases in which a charge above the marginal cost for public sector organisms and libraries can be foreseen. The Cypriot minister also informed the delegations of the results of the first trialogue with the European Parliament on this subject, which took place on 17 December. Flourentzou said that they had had a very positive and very constructive dialogue with the Parliament. At this stage common ground still needs to be found as regards tariffs and the modalities of exclusive agreements. Flourentzou is confident that an agreement in first reading will soon be found, thanks to the efforts that the Parliament and Council will make. (IL/transl.fl)