1 Amendments of Evelyne GEBHARDT related to 2007/0248(COD)
Amendment 104 #
Recital 3 a (new)
(3a) The universal service is a protective network for people whose financial resources, geographical location or special social needs do not permit them to access the basic services available to the majority of citizens. The basic universal service obligation laid down in Directive 2002/22/EC is to provide users who so request with a connection to the public telephone network from a fixed location and at an affordable price. As a result, it addresses neither mobile services nor broadband access to the Internet. This basic obligation is now confronted by technological and market developments in which mobile communications may be the primary form of access in many areas and networks are increasingly adopting the technology associated with mobile and broadband communications. These developments raise a need to assess whether the technical, social and economic conditions justifying the inclusion of mobile communications and broadband access in the universal service obligation are fulfilled, as well as related financing aspects. To this end, the Commission will present, no later than autumn 2009, a review of the scope of the universal service obligation and proposals for reform of Directive 2002/22/EC to meet the appropriate public interest objectives. That review will take account of economic competitiveness and include an analysis of social, commercial and technological conditions and of the risk of social exclusion. It will also address the technical and economic viability, estimated cost, cost allocation and funding models for any redefined universal service obligation. As questions relating to the scope of the universal service obligation will therefore be fully dealt with in that separate procedure, this Directive only deals with other aspects of Directive 2002/22/EC.