No L 105/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 23. 4. 97 DECISION No 710/97/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 24 March 1997 on a coordinated authorization approach in the field of satellite personal- communication services in the Community THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community and in particular Articles 57, 66 and 100a thereof, Having regard to the proposal of the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (?), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the Treaty (%), (1) Whereas on 7 December 1993 the Council adopted a resolution on the introduction of satellite personal- communications services in the Community (*), whereas in that resolution the Council recognized the desirability of coordinated action to allow the introduction of satellite personal-communications services in the Community, taking full account of the global nature of such services; whereas the Council stressed the importance of developing an effective policy and asked the Commission to study the matter, monitor international developments and propose appropriate measures and/or actions; (2) Whereas on 19 May 1995, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on mobile and personal communications in the European Union (*) in which it considered it a priority objective to establish a harmonized licensing approach for satellite-based mobile and personal communications and, on that basis, to initiate procedures for licensing such systems at an early stage; whereas, according to that resolution, that approach should have been imple- mented by 1 January 1996 in order to take account of the rapid development of such services at global level and of their potential in both social and commercial terms; (3) Whereas on 29 June 1995 the Council adopted a resolution on the further development of mobile and () OJ No C 15, 20. 1. 1996, p. 6, and OJ No C 350, 21. 1. 1996, p. 14. @) OJ No C 204, 15. 7. 1996, p. 8. (%} Opinion of the European Parliament of 19 June 1996 (O] No C 198, 8. 7. 1996, p. 93), Council common position of 9 December 1996 (O] No C 41, 10. 2. 1997, p. 37) and De- cision of the European Parliament of 20 February 1997 (O] No C 85, 17. 3. 1997). Council Decision of 6 March 1997. () OJ No C 339, 16. 12. 1993, p. 1. () OJ No C 151, 19. 6. 1995, p. 473. personal communications in the European Union () in which it considered it a priority objective to ensure, before 1 June 1996, the specification of a harmonized licensing approach for satellite-based mobile and personal communications, after invest- igation by the European Committee for Telecom- munications Regulatory Affairs (Ectra); (4) Whereas on 18 June 1996 the Council adopted common position No 34/96 with a view to adopting the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on interconnection in telecommunications with regard to ensuring universal service and inter- operability through application of the principles of open network provision (ONP)("), hereinafter referred to as ‘the interconnection Directive’; whereas principles to govern the interconnection of mobile services  which  include  satellite  personal- communications services with separate telecommuni- cations networks are set out in this Directive; (5) Whereas on 6 December 1995 the Commission submitted a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to telecom- munications terminal equipment and satellite earth- station equipment, including the mutual recognition of their conformity (consolidated version), (6) Whereas the European Parliament and the Council are examining a common position with a view to the adoption of the Directive of the European Par- liament and of the Council on a common framework for general authorizations and individual licences in the field of telecommunications services (*), here- inafter referred to as ‘the licensing Directive’; whereas, given the urgency of these matters and the fact that no such authorization measures have been adopted or implemented, the area of satellite per- sonal-communications services therefore requires action at Community level in accordance with this Decision; whereas that action should be of limited duration; (7) Whereas, having considered the telecommunications, trade and industry aspects as well as the frequency and standardization aspects of satellite personal communications and having consulted the industry () O] No C 188, 22. 7. 1995, p. 3. () O] No C 220, 29. 7. 199, p. 13. (*) OJ No C 41, 10. 2. 1997, p. 48.