Brussels, 23/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission decided, on 20 June, to launch a consultation for all interested parties, in particular local and regional authorities, on draft guidelines for criteria and modalities to implement structural funds in the electronic communications industry. In certain regions, notably rural or underpopulated ones, the costs of investment in this sector (mobile telephony and high-speed Internet) can be too much to be covered immediately by the market. It was also decided, at EU level, to use structural funds to co-finance infrastructure necessary for the access of new technologies. In March, the European Council favourably welcomed the Commission's intention to produce guidelines on the modalities and criteria for use of structural funds to support the e-communications sector.
The Commission decided on Friday to put the draft guidelines to consultation. The draft establishes general criteria and operational modes to assist regions in assessing and selecting e-comms investment projects. The guidelines aim to: - encourage local and regional authorities to commit to projects with an overall regional development strategy; - take account of regional and territorial specificities in the geographical targeting of actions; - ensure a principle of "technological neutrality" in the choice of co-financed investments; - promote access to networks in a transparent way, and avoid competition distortion. The finalised guidelines will be published by the end of July. The public consultation will take place on 2 July.
When the consultation was announced, European Commissioner for regional policy Michel Barnier said: "the digital divide is a real challenge for the European regions, particularly those which suffer from natural disadvantages, such as mountains, islands and extremely isolated regions. It would be unacceptable for new information and communication technologies, which have the advantage of cancelling out remoteness or distance, paradoxically only to benefit the richest areas. This is why I hope that the mid-term revision of the 2000-2006 regional development programmes will provide the opportunity to reinforce the mobilisation of European structural funds to benefit the information society. These guidelines must clarify the conditions for this mobilisation respecting competition rules and market openings".
The draft guidelines can be consulted at the following address: http: //europa.eu.int/comm/ regional_policy/consultation/index_en.htm.