COUNCIL OFBrussels, 19 May 2011 THE EUROPEAN UNION
10301/11
TELECOM 72 AUDIO 15 TRANS 148 AVIATION 142 ESPACE 31 MI 265 COMPET 194 RECH 118 ENV 369 NOTE
from: COREPER
to: COUNCIL
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Subject: World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 (WRC-12) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
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-Adoption of Council conclusions
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1.The Commission adopted its Communication on "The European Union's policy approach to
the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2012" on 6 April 2011. This Conference
will be held in Geneva from 23 January to 17 February 2012.
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2.World Radiocommunication Conference (WRCs) decides how the airwaves are defined,
allocated and used without harmful interference between the various wireless services around
the world. Historically, the Member States work out technical positions for the WRC in the
CEPT, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications organisations. In its role
as observer in ITU/WRC and counsellor to CEPT, the European Union seeks to ensure that its
interests are appropriately represented in these bodies. For each WRC, the Commission sets
out in a Communication the EU issues at stake and the common policy objectives to be
pursued and in response to such Communications and in support of the technical positions
worked out in the CEPT, the Council adopts conclusions on the European positions for such
WRCs.
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3.With its present Communication, the Commission seeks to inform the European Parliament
and the Council about those items on the agenda for the forthcoming World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12), which are of relevance to European Union
policies and also proposes common policy objectives to be pursued by the Member States at
WRC-12.
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4.According to the Commission, there are two main areas on the agenda of WRC-12, which are
particularly important in the context of the Digital Agenda for Europe, namely the digital
dividend and short-range devices. Other items on the agenda of WRC-12, which have a
bearing on EU policies, include air traffic management systems, broadcasting satellite
services, software defined radio and cognitive radios, electronic news gathering, scientific
services and spectrum requirements for systems such as Galileo.
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5.In response to the Commission's Communication, the Presidency prepared and the Working
Party on Telecommunications and the Information Society examined draft Council
conclusions. The Working Party reached an agreement on the annexed text.
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6.In view of what has been mentioned above, it is suggested that the Permanent Representatives
Committee recommends to the Council the unanimous adoption of the annexed Council
conclusions.
ANNEX Council Conclusions on
the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 (WRC-12) of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
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1.WELCOMES
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a)the Commission Communication of 6 April 2011 on "The European Union's policy
approach to the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 (WRC-12)", to be
held in Geneva from 23 January to 17 February 2012.
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2.RECALLS
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a)Decision No 676/2002/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 7 March 2002
on a regulatory framework for radio spectrum policy in the European Community;
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b)the provisions of the Framework Directive on electronic communications networks and
services, and particularly its Article 8a(4);
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c)the Council conclusions on the European positions for the World Radiocommunication
Conferences of 1992, 1997 2000, 2003 and 2007;
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d)the importance of wireless technologies using spectrum for achieving the EU's policy
objectives under the EU2020 Strategy flagship initiative "Digital Agenda for Europe"
to deliver fast broadband internet and achieving sustainable economic and social
benefits from a digital single market;
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e)the Council conclusions of 31 May 2010 on the Digital Agenda for Europe.
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3.NOTES
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a)the November 2009 Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) Opinion on "Main Themes of
WRC-12 of Interest for EU-wide Support";
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b)the February 2011 Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) Opinion on "Common Policy
Objectives for WRC-12".
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4.EXPRESSES ITS BROAD SUPPORT FOR
· the following objectives to be achieved at WRC-12 in view of the successful
implementation of relevant Union policies, taking into account the Commission's
Communication:
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a)to ensure the balanced coexistence between wireless broadband and the existing use
of aeronautical radionavigation systems on the eastern borders of the EU in the 790-
862 MHz band by encouraging bilateral or multilateral negotiations. (WRC-12
Agenda Item 1.17);
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b)to resist additional constraints being introduced in the ITU Radio Regulations for
short-range devices (SRD), while encouraging similar band use outside the EU, in
order to increase existing economies of scale (WRC-12 Agenda Item 1.22);
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c)to preserve the capability to develop and implement the best possible air traffic
management system under the SESAR project, in an effective and transparent
manner (WRC-12 Agenda Item 1.4/1.7);
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d)to avoid that the broadcast satellite band 21.4-22 GHz and associated orbital slots are
divided into national ITU Member State assignments, which would limit its usability
and to ensure that enough spectrum is available for mobile satellite services,
including the delivery of services for air traffic management in Europe (WRC-12
Agenda Item 1.7/1.13/1.25/7/1.27);
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e)to identify spectrum for the safe operation of unmanned aerial systems in non-
segregated airspace (WRC-12 Agenda Item 1.3);
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f)to encourage the ITU to maintain a flexible approach in regard of software-defined
radio and cognitive radios (WRC-12 Agenda Item 1.19);
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g)to promote new allocations and protection for scientific services, in particular
services helping to combat climate change and ensuring the security of citizens; to
support studies on the role of Earth Observation for monitoring and predicting
climate change, for disaster prediction and for understanding all aspects of climate
change (WRC-12 Agenda Item 1.6/1.8/1.24/8.1.1);
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h)to identify tuning ranges for electronic news gathering through an ITU-R
Recommendation, which can be updated in a flexible way within a timely manner
(WRC-12 Agenda Item 1.5);
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i)to safeguard all spectrum necessary for the operation of Galileo, without interference
from other services, and to ensure spectrum availability for future enhanced services
in the 2483.5-2500 MHz band (WRC-12 Agenda Item 1.3/1.4/1.18);
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j)to seek the inclusion on the agenda for the next WRC (2015) of an item considering
spectrum requirements and possible regulatory actions, to facilitate the growth of
wireless broadband services in line with the aims of the Digital Agenda for Europe
(WRC-12 Agenda Item 8.2).
· the development and adoption of European Common Proposals (ECPs) by the
Conference Preparatory Group of the European Conference of Postal and
Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), which are relevant in the context of the
Union policies mentioned above.
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5.INVITES MEMBER STATES TO
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a)co-sign the ECPs in accordance with the Union objectives mentioned above;
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b)do their utmost to ensure that these objectives and the related ECPs are satisfied in the
WRC-12 negotiations.
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6.INVITES THE COMMISSION TO
report rapidly to the European Parliament and the Council on the results of WRC-12 and on
the means to ensure that the European preparations for the next conference due in 2015
(WRC-15) are fully supportive of Union policies and principles.
_____________________
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