Brussels, 24/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - Spectrum management will be at the heart of the Telecommunications Council on Thursday 26 May. Ministers are expected to reach a political agreement of principle on ultrahigh frequencies (UHF). They will also have an exchange of views on revising the telecommunications regulatory framework.
The only legislative point on the agenda involves UHF. Ministers will be requested to give their support to the Dutch Presidency of the Council's compromise on the draft decision relating to the use of the UHF waveband (470-790 MHz) in the EU. The Dutch text maintains the main substance of the Commission proposal, namely allocating "golden frequencies"(694-790 MHz) to mobile telephone services by 30 June 2020 and ensuring normal TV services' access to frequency bands below 700 MHz (470-694 MHz). Nevertheless, as previously indicated by EUROPE, this introduces more flexibility: it leaves a two-year maximum deadline for member states to grant golden frequency bands to mobile services and for the adoption of national roadmaps in 2018 instead of 2017 (see EUROPE 11553). Similarly, the text limits the privileged access time audiovisual services can benefit from frequency bands lower than 470-694 MHz or parts of them that are expected to be available to at least 2030. It also puts the member states in charge of ensuring that any other use is compatible with the national broadcasting requirements of the country concerned and that it does not cause any damaging interference to the provision of broadcasting services on Hertzian wavebands in neighbouring member states.
The compromise text can be found at: http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-8793-2016-INIT/en/pdf
Telecoms Framework. During the course of their morning work, ministers will hold an orientation debate on the future re-examination of EU regulation on telecommunications. Discussions will be based around three themes: (1) the need to adapt rules governing operators' access to fixed networks, in view of stimulating investment and maintaining competition in Europe; (2) ways of developing better spectrum coordination; and (3) how to treat over-the-top players - OTT). The Council will provide policy orientations to the European Commission.
On Monday 23 May, the Vice President of the Commission, Andrus Ansip, confirmed to MEPs on the Industry Committee (ITRE) that he would present his proposals on September. He indicated that "I'm convinced we need more coordination. This does not mean we will deny member states their resources. This particularly means that we need longer license periods. In the United Kingdom, this period is unlimited. Some have proposed 25 years, which is better than five years! We also need more coordination in covering and sharing spectrum".
The Dutch Presidency will report back on the progress made in ongoing dossiers such as the directives on web access and network and information security. The future Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU will be presenting its work programme and the Commission will inform Ministers of the most recent developments on Internet governance.
During a working dinner, Ministers for Telecommunications and Competitiveness will discuss horizontal questions relating to the Single Digital Market Strategy, including digital platforms. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)