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Verbatim report of proceedings
Tuesday, 5 May 2009 - Strasbourg OJ edition

Electronic communications networks, personal data and the protection of privacy - Electronic communications networks and services - Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and the Office - Frequency bands for mobile communications (debate)
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  Francisca Pleguezuelos Aguilar, rapporteur. − (ES) Madam President, as others have done, I would like to address my fellow Members and the Commissioner in order to thank them for the work they have all carried out, on which I believe we can congratulate ourselves today.

I would also like to express my thanks for the unconditional support I have received as rapporteur of the GSM Directive, particularly to the shadow rapporteurs who have worked with me and to Commissioner Reding for the flexibility she has shown throughout the process of giving Parliament back the role we had been demanding: to take part in the strategic planning of the use of the radio spectrum. I must also, of course, thank the Czech Presidency for demonstrating its clear determination to resolve this directive along with the rest of the package before the end of the parliamentary term.

As rapporteur of this GSM Directive, I believe that we have found the correct end solution, placing strategic planning for the spectrum at Community level within future multi-annual programmes of radio spectrum policy and linking it to the framework directive. It is the right decision because we are thus acknowledging that the spectrum, as a rare, public asset, needs legislative control as well as strategic planning in the development of new networks – the wireless and fibre optic networks – which are, as we have all agreed, the future, a future in which we must offer legal protection to operators so that they invest and we may recover the leadership that the European Union once showed.

I wish to stress the fact that it is also very important that we have established the principle of technological neutrality for the network within that general framework because, given that it was an exception to that principle, we are doubly legitimising Parliament’s actions in a situation of this scale.

In that context, I feel that this directive is a fine example to give spectrum management greater flexibility, as the reform of this telecommunications package intends.

We should not forget – and I should like to highlight this, as some of my fellow Members have done – that in the European Union services related to the radio spectrum generate a turnover of around EUR 300 billion, that is, 1.2% of Community GDP.

Therefore, optimising the management of this rare, public resource will no doubt bring important benefits, particularly in this time of economic crisis, and is sure to help us to emerge from the crisis. I think this is an investment opportunity for businesses to develop new services that can rekindle demand and also help to improve our citizens’ public services.

To be sure, an efficient spectrum policy in the European Union enables us to reap the greatest social and economic benefit from this resource, which we want to do as cost-effectively as possible; it also offers the best business opportunity for service providers.

There is no doubt that it is of interest to us all to have more and better services for consumers, which is, ultimately, why we are legislating, and to have a better provision of public services for citizens. In other words, we want to be able to collaborate to achieve greater social and territorial inclusion of European citizens.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we can congratulate ourselves today for completing this work that is of tremendous importance to the telecommunications industry, a sector that, in 2008, continued growing at a rate of 1.3% in real terms, while overall GDP only made a real increase of 1%. I call on all of you to show your support for our work tomorrow so that we can finally implement this legislative framework.

 
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