Copenhagen hosted last 8-10 September the fourth meeting of CEPT project team PT WTSA-08, set up to prepare European positions and proposals for the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA-08) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, this coming 21-30 October.
As this was the team's last meeting before WTSA-08, the talks basically focused on studying the documents and proposals that might obtain the necessary agreement to be approved as European common proposals (ECPs).
The PT agreed to submit the following ECPs for approval by the CEPT ITU Affairs working group:
- Five ECPs on reorganisation of the ITU Standardisation Sector (ITU-T) Study Groups (SGs), covering the following subjects:
- Merger of SGs 11, 13 and 19;
- SG 2/4/12 (inclusion of issues from SG4 in SG2);
- SG 3, 5, 17 (remain unchanged);
- Merger of SGs 6 and 15;
- Merger of SGs 9 and 16. - Seven ECPs with proposals to revise the following Resolutions concerning the internet and cyber-security: Res. 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52;
- ECP with proposal to revise Resolution 1 - Rules of procedure of the ITU Telecommunication Standardisation Sector;
- ECP with proposal to revise Resolution 2 with respect to the mandate of each SG (the SGs' reorganisation implies the updating of this Resolution);
- ECP supporting the proposal from the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL) concerning the SG3 Recommendation on Network Externalities (the CITEL proposal indicates that this recommendation is still not ready to be implemented, whereby analyses should continue on this issue);
- ECP supporting the modification proposals of the ITU Telecommunication Standardisation Advisory Group (TSAG) to Series A Recommendations and Resolutions.
The meeting also saw discussion regarding the ITU brand, an idea that consists of creating an ITU quality certification brand and which will be taken for consideration at WTSA-08. The German delegation presented its legal opinion on this issue, which basically did not support this proposal due to the legal and financial consequences implied. Many of the attending delegations, including Portugal, also expressed their concern about this project. It was thus agreed that although there is no ECP on this issue, the CEPT position, co-ordinated by Germany, will oppose the project.
Regarding the Assembly's structure, the PT was informed that besides the two traditional committees, two ad hoc groups will be created, one to discuss issues concerning reduction of the digital gap and the other dedicated to questions concerning the internet.
