Mr. Robert G. HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Telecommunications Council on 28 June.
§ Mr. ForthThe main item for discussion was a proposed Council directive under article 100A of the treaty of Rome, aimed at establishing full mutual recognition between member states of type approval procedures for telecommunications terminal equipment.
The Council reached political agreement by qualified majority, on the basis of a compromise text promoted by the Irish presidency, to a common position on this directive. This was after difficult negotiations over the linked issues of the scope of the directive and procedures for determining requirements as to the interworking of equipment.
The Government supported this outcome as striking an acceptable balance between the regulation which is necessary to protect the public telecommunications network and further significant liberalisation of the Community market in telecommunications terminal equipment.
Other significant items discussed included the preliminary consideration given to the role of the Community in assisting the development of telecommunications in eastern Europe and to the work in progress within the Community in preparation for a Green Paper on developments in the postal sector.