The meeting of the Council of Ministers in charge of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, which began on 6 June, ends on 8 June 2007.
One of the key conclusions of the meeting of the Council is the political agreement on the proposed regulation on regulating mobile network roaming services. This regulation, which was initially put forward by the European Commission and was later adopted in the European Parliament on 23 May, should be published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) by the end of June, entering into force the following day.
Looking at Galileo, the European satellite navigation system, the Council asked the Commission to present a proposal by September 2007 on the most pressing issues, especially, financing and the system’s management structure, with the Council intending to make an overall decision on these issues in early October 2007.
The Council also looked at radio frequency identification technology (RFID), based on the communication adopted by the European Commission on 19 March 2007. A conference has been scheduled on this matter, to be held under the German Presidency in Berlin on 25 and 26 June, while under the term of the Portuguese Presidency a high level conference on RFID is due to take place in Lisbon in November 2007.
On the subject of postal services, the Council considered the progress report on the postal directive, presented by the European Commission in October 2006. This report, supplied by the German presidency, identifies the issues that need to be analysed during the Portuguese EU Presidency, with the European Parliament expected to adopt an opinion on this subject in July 2007.
The 2007 annual report on the information society, initially presented by the European Commission on 29 March 2007 was also analysed at this meeting of the Council. On 29 May 2007, the Council had already sent the Commission guidelines on this issue, identifying measures to be taken into account in the framework of the review of the strategy for the information society i2010, especially in connection to development of policy on the sector’s future trends (next generation networks, the role and interests of users of information society services and the role of information and communication technologies in the internal market) for the promotion of an inclusive information society.
The Council also covered the communication of the European Commission on the evaluation of the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA).
Further information:
- Nota de imprensa Conselho de Ministros dos Transportes, Telecomunicações e Energia - 6/7 Junho 2007 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/trans/94546.pdf
- Europe's Regulation on Roaming: Political Agreement by Council http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=3455
- The Council approves rules on roaming charges http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/misc/94533.pdf
- Council resolution on GALILEO http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/trans/94550.pdf
- i2010 - Annual Information Society Report 2007 - Council Conclusions http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/07/st09/st09955.en07.pdf
- Telecom Council, Luxembourg, 7 June 2007 http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/230&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- European Parliament adopts regulation on roaming tariffs https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=486655
- Commission adopts Communication on Galileo https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=486427
- European Commission proposes policy on RFID devices https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=466488
- Liberalisation of EU postal services https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=490404
- Commission's annual report on the digital economy https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=472389
- EU - European Union https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=66653
- Electronic communications - regulatory framework https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=60209
