The Radio Spectrum Policy Group, a new EU institution created by the Radio Spectrum Decision 676/2002/EC, has today opened a public consultation in the context of the development of an RSPG Opinion on priorities and objectives for the EU in the World Radiocommunication Conference 2007.

The deadline for responses is 21 May 2004.

The full text of the consultation document can be accessed by clicking here.

Key questions put to public consultation are as follows:

1) What are the agenda items at WRC-07 (to be specified by the respondent) which potentially could have a significant positive or negative impact on common European policies and on important pan-European industrial sectors?

2) Which are the broad objectives which Europe could set itself for these agenda items, bearing in mind that many technical constraints are not yet clarified, and the fact that non-European interests might not support such objectives during the negotiations?

3) Is it currently foreseeable that there could be contrasting requirements for different Community policies which would need to be interpreted preferably before the WRC-07 negotiations? If so, where?

4) How to effectively promote at the conference and within ITU the Common Proposals on spectrum selected by Europe in other regions of the world, in order to enable European industry and consumers to benefit from lower barriers to trade and greater economies of scale?

5) How to ensure that generic regulatory principles enshrined in Community legislation for various spectrum-using sectors are supported in the WRC-07 process, and notably the principles of technology neutrality, fair competition, regulatory transparency, non-discrimination and proportionality, as well as the optimisation of spectrum use?

6) What should be the strategy approaches before and during the conference for European delegations to optimise the possibility to reach the above-identified common European objectives? Should some European Common Proposals be mandatory for EU members?

7) Are the current procedural arrangements for the European WRC preparations, such as participation to and scheduling of meetings, drafting of European Common Positions and Briefs, availability of information, etc., appropriate? If not, please suggest ways to improve this process.

8) If applicable, please indicate your early views on issues Europe could propose to be included in the agenda for the next conference after WRC-07 (see the preliminary agenda proposed by WRC-03 in annex 3).