Brussels, 18/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - At the informal meeting in Prague on 17 February, European telecommunications ministers agreed on the overwhelming need to stimulate investment in digital infrastructure. Digital technologies, one of the main pillars of economic competitiveness, are an important tool for tackling the current crisis. For this reason, European companies need to be backed by a quality regulatory framework that will allow them to maintain a competitive position on the world market and provide innovative solutions and quality services to their customers. “Maintaining a stable and functioning telecoms market means that new rules must not contradict the rules protecting economic competition,” said the chairman of the meeting, Czech Industry and Trade Minister Martin Øíman. Adoption of the Telecoms Package, shceduled for June, was the second issue discussed by ministers. In January, the Czech Presidency opened the final phase of negotiations, and the difficult task of finding a compromise between the positions of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of ministers, which are very different on some points. Parliament will begin the second reading of the package on Thursday 19 February. Discussions hitherto with the Parliament show that agreement on five crucial points will have to be negotiated, if the package is to be acceptable to all. These points, according to the Presidency, are radio spectrum policy, next generation access networks, the power of the Commission to harmonise the internal telecommunications market, the veto power of the Commission on decisions of national regulators and strengthening the cooperation between independent regulators. “ Our discussion today has shown that the member states are willing to reach an agreement with the European Parliament and the Commission. As the country holding the Presidency, we wanted to make sure that in controversial issues we can go further beyond the common position accepted by the Member States in November last year. The member states expressed confidence in the Czech Presidency's negotiation strategy. However, as the saying goes, nothing is agreed, until everything is agreed,“ said Øíman. (I.L./transl.rt)