WORLD RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS CONFERENCE 2000
(21100)
6981/00
COM(00) 86
| Commission Communication: The European positions for the World Radiocommunications Conference 2000 (WRC-2000).
|
| Legal base:
| — |
| Document originated:
| 8 March 2000 |
| Forwarded to the Council:
| 13 March 2000 |
| Deposited in Parliament:
| 31 March 2000 |
| Department:
| Trade and Industry |
| Basis of consideration:
| EM of 11 April 2000 |
| Previous Committee Report:
| None |
| To be discussed in Council:
| 2 May Telecoms Council
|
| Committee's assessment:
| Politically important |
| Committee's decision:
| Not cleared; further information requested
|
Background
3.1 World Radiocommunications Conferences
(WRCs) are held every two or three years under the aegis of the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to review the international
radio regulations. From 8 May to 2 June over 2000 radio spectrum
managers, representing approximately 190 administrations, industry
and inter-governmental organisations, will gather in Istanbul
for the World Radiocommunications Conference 2000 (WRC-2000).
Important decisions are expected to be made on radio frequency
allocations and sharing arrangements, which will have a major
impact on the development of telecommunications[7]
systems. The agenda is wide, covering mobile communications; satellite
communications (conditions of use, spectrum requirements, sharing
of resources, outcomes of research studies); radionavigation —
satellite, aeronautical and maritime mobile services; and passive
services (spectrum allocations) and other technical matters.
3.2 European preparations for WRCs are co-ordinated
as part of the remit of the European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administrations (known by the French acronym
CEPT). In 1994, CEPT established a Conference Preparatory Group
(CPG) to plan and co-ordinate European preparations for the WRCs.
CEPT membership now extends to 43 European countries and covers
the entire European continent, including all EU Member States.
The European Commission has observer status at the ITU and Counsellor
status in the CPG.
3.3 The Commission sets out what it regards
as the five key issues. These are summarised slightly more fully
by the Minister for Small Business and E-Commerce (Ms Patricia
Hewitt) in her Explanatory Memorandum of 11 April as follows:
"IMT-2000/UMTS[8]:
planning for sufficient additional radio spectrum to allow
the rapid implementation of third generation mobile communication
systems (WRC agenda item 1.6).
"GNSS/GALILEO: new bands for Global Navigation
Satellite Systems to support an independent rôle for the
Community in an area of major strategic and industrial importance,
including applications as diverse as air navigation, agricultural
land use, oil industry survey, construction etc., (WRC agenda
items 1.9 & 1.15).
"Satellite broadcasting: to ensure a
fair but efficient distribution of resources (orbital positions,
channels) needed for cross-border satellite broadcasting within
the Community (WRC agenda item 1.19).
"Satellite broadband communications: to
facilitate the competitive provision of satellite broadband services
while taking due account of the radio spectrum requirements of
existing terrestrial and space-based services (WRC agenda item
1.13).
"High-density fixed services: to
ensure sufficient spectrum for the timely deployment of reasonably
priced and flexible fixed wireless alternatives to wire-based
infrastructures for the provision of multimedia applications to
European citizens (WRC agenda item 1.4)."
3.4 In order to strengthen EU positions,
the Commission invites the European Parliament and Council:
- to endorse the proposed positions in the areas
it has selected and to urge the Member States to express clear
and active support for these European Common Proposals by signing
them;
- to urge the Member States to remain "coherent"
on the various issues, even where the dynamics of the negotiations
require an adaptation of original negotiating positions; and
- to agree with the Commission's intention to discuss
the Community's policy objectives and the proposals with its trading
partners, so as to achieve an approximation of positions prior
to the Conference. This, it says, will be particularly necessary
for third generation mobile communications (IMT-2000/UMTS) and
satellite radio navigation, where major Community policies have
already been agreed.
3.5 On third generation mobile communications
(IMT-2000/UMTS) the Commission defines the Community's objective
as to ensure that additional radio spectrum is made available
at a global level. This, it says, entails:
"— achieving a timely decision
on identifying a sufficient amount of additional radio spectrum
to be made available between 2005 and 2010: Since radio spectrum
below 3 GHz is already very crowded[9],
it is necessary to decide at an early stage which bands will need
to be allocated. The Community objective is to reach decisions
now, in order to allow for the needed bands to be made effectively
available between 2005 and 2010, giving confidence to the sector
of a smooth future expansion of third generation systems in Europe.
"— Harmonising IMT-2000 bands at
global level: As third generation systems are expected to
operate globally, the inter-operability of systems will be an
important factor. Globally harmonised spectrum would allow for
cheaper and easier implementation of networks and services and
would contribute to the development of a truly global market.
If a harmonisation of bands were to fail at the WRC-2000, the
Community would need to consider the option of establishing rapidly
a regional harmonisation of spectrum for IMT-2000.
"— In Europe, the spectrum currently
used for second generation systems should not be considered as
candidate bands for IMT-2000 extension bands at this juncture.
GSM[10]
is still evolving in terms of customers, service profile and the
forthcoming deployment of GPRS[11]
constitutes a significant driver for preparing the ground for
the uptake of third generation systems. It is expected that GSM/GPRS
will coexist for a number of years with third generation systems."
3.6 The Commission fears that a negotiating
failure at the Conference could increase the cost of spectrum
re-farming at a later date. It foresees some countries, which
have a less dynamic mobile communications market than most of
Europe, feeling threatened by the prospect of a rapidly developing
"wireless Internet" and expects them to campaign for
a decision on extension of spectrum for IMT-2000 to be postponed.
They may be supported by some non-Community members of CEPT and
by developing countries which see this as an attempt by industrialised
countries to appropriate spectrum. As the stakes are high, this
debate will be highly politicised, it says.
3.7 The Member States negotiate on an individual
basis. While representing the Community as an observer in ITU,
the Commission, acting in accordance with the Council Conclusions
of 22 September 1997, will seek to:
"— ensure compliance of the European
positions for WRC with relevant Community policies prior to and
at the conference;
"— encourage European industry to
propose radiocommunication initiatives and involve industry and
other relevant actors and organisations in the development of
European positions on, inter alia, mobile and satellite
communications, broadcasting, aeronautical services, radio navigation,
and Earth observation;
"— maintain and establish contacts
with third countries and regions in order to promote European
objectives and to achieve a certain level of approximation of
proposals before the start of the conference;
"— strengthen the negotiating position
of Europe at WRCs and achieve results which are to the benefit
of the European economy and its citizens".
3.8 The Communication builds on this foundation
by seeking to ensure that the negotiating positions developed
by CEPT will benefit from political endorsement at Community level,
for which an explicit prior analysis of critical Community issues
for WRC-2000 is required. The Commission has, for example, already
sought to achieve structured co-operation between industry and
administrations on WRC-2000 through existing regular contacts
with industry representative organisations and through organising
public consultation meetings.
The Government's view
3.9 The Minister says that, in line with
the Council Conclusions of 3 February 1992, "it is accepted
that" Community co-ordination might prove necessary in cases
such as:
"— where Member States disagree amongst
themselves on proposals submitted to the Conference, which affect
the Community as a whole;
"— where Member States disagree with
other CEPT countries on such proposals; and
"— where the CEPT proposals do not
comply with Community interests."
3.10 Although similar to the corresponding
Commission Communication issued before WRC-1997[12],
the Minister notes that this Communication contains several additional
elements: the proposed endorsement of the policy objectives in
the Communication; the endorsement of the European Common Proposals
(ECPs); and the invitation to Member States to co-sign the ECPs,
in particular those identified as being important to the Community.
The UK has already co-signed the ECPs.
3.11 In broad terms, the Minister says,
the Government welcomes the Commission Communication, considering
it to be a comprehensive review of the European preparations and
the issues to be addressed, which correctly highlights the Community
priorities. It supports the underlying aim of the draft Council
Conclusion to have a coherent European stance on the key issues
for WRC-2000, believing it correct to base this on the previous
Council Conclusion, on WRC-97, and having the added benefit of
giving political endorsement to the European Common Proposals.
3.12 However, the Minister continues:
"...the Government has concerns over the intent
of the Communication that Member States should 'endorse the policy
objectives'. The policy objectives were developed by the Commission
without first consulting Member States, some contain serious deficiencies,
and one is in conflict with the ECPs. The Government could, however,
express broad support for the policy objectives providing note
is taken of these deficiencies."
3.13 The Government fully supports the CEPT
co-ordination procedures which create a strong bargaining position
for Europe and have proved successful at previous WRCs. The Government's
objective will be to combine the strengths of the CEPT and the
European Commission to the best effect.
3.14 The Communication is expected to be
discussed at the next Telecoms Council on 2 May.
Conclusion
3.15 The decisions taken at this Conference
will have a major impact on all types of communications, broadcasting,
transport and research and development (R&D). It will have
started before we meet again, but we ask the Minister to spell
out the "serious deficiencies" to which she refers and
to provide us with a draft of the Council Conclusions to which
she also refers, in time for us to consider these on 10 May.
3.16 Meanwhile, we do not clear the document.
7 Hereinafter referred to as telecoms. Back
8 International Mobile Telecommunications for the year 2000/Universal
Mobile Telecommunications System. Back
9 Essential mission-critical services, such as air traffic management
radar, as well as mobile satellite services (MSS) use these bands. Back
10 Global System for Mobile Communications. Back
11 General Packet Radio Service. Back
12 (18268) 9371/97; see HC 155-iii (1997-98), paragraph 29 (30 July
1997). Back
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