European Community telecommunications ministers yesterday agreed the legislation intended to ensure that voice telephone services are provided in an open and efficient way across the Community, Reuter reports from Brussels: the legislation, which must be reviewed by the European Parliament before it becomes final, would improve access of users to public telephone networks and impose rules or objectives in areas such as prices, contracts and billing; it would establish the principle that prices are based on cost, rather than cross-subsidy – in many countries, long distance calls subsidise local calls; France won agreement on changes that would enable tariffs to be adjusted to ensure cohesion within a state – in order to cover things like service to remote areas; the ministers are also due this week to debate the controversial plans to liberalise the telecommunications market by 1998.
