Brussels, 06/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Employment and Social Affairs Council should formally, and without discussion, adopt the "telecommunications package" on Thursday on which an agreement with the EP was reached in December (see EUROPE of 13 December 2001, p.12). This "package" is made up of five legislative texts: 1) a framework-directive setting the principles governing national regulatory authorities (NRAs) which, in particular, defines their tasks regarding the distribution and allocation of radio frequencies, numbers and rights of passage; 2) a directive on access and interconnection that sets the intervention framework of the NRAs; 3) a directive on authorisations; 4) a directive on the universal service and users' rights; 2) a decision on the radio-electric spectrum. The "package" also comprises the draft directive on the treatment of data of a personal nature and the protection of private life, which is likely to be the subject of a conciliation procedure as soon as the Council has formalised its political agreement of last December (see EUROPE of 7 December 2001, p.9).
Furthermore, at their 25 and 26 March Council meeting, telecommunications ministers of the EU should reach a political agreement on the draft resolution on accessibility to public Web sites and their content. They should also broach the issue of new guidelines and measures to adopt regarding the trans-European networks for the electronic interchange of data between administrations (IDA), as well as the issue of new guidelines for trans-European telecommunications networks in general.