L 43[32 Official Journal of the European Union 15.2.2007 II (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory) DECISIONS COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 14 February 2007 on the harmonised use of radio spectrum in the 2 GHz frequency bands for the implementation of systems providing mobile satellite services (notified under document number C(2007) 409) (Text with EEA relevance) (2007/98EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Decision No 676/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on a regulatory framework for radio spectrum policy in the European Community (Radio Spectrum Decision) (), and in particular Article 4(3) thereof, Whereas: 2 Effective and coherent use of radio spectrum is essential for the development of electronic communications services and can help the European Community to stimulate growth, competitiveness and employment; access to spectrum must be eased to improve efficiency, promote innovation as well as greater flexibility for users and more choice for consumers, while taking into account general interest objectives (?). The Commission promotes new and innovative commu- nications systems using any kind of technical platform () OJ L 108, 24.4.2002, p. 1. (%) Council Conclusions 15530/04 and 15533/04 of 3.12.2004. and capable of providing services in the Member States, regionally or at a pan-European level. In this context, systems capable of providing mobile satellite services (MSS) are seen as an innovative alter- native platform able to provide various types of pan- European telecommunications and broadcasting/multi- casting services regardless of the location of end users, such as high speed internetfintranet access, mobile multimedia and public protection and disaster relief. These services could improve coverage of rural areas in the Community, thus bridging the digital divide in terms of geography. The introduction of new systems providing MSS would potentially contribute to the development of the internal market and enhance competition by increasing the offering and availability of pan-European services and end-to-end connectivity as well as encouraging efficient investments. Systems capable of providing MSS should include at least one or more space stations and they could include complementary ground components (CGC), ie. ground based stations used at fixed locations in order to improve the availability of the mobile satellite service in zones where communications with one or several space stations cannot be ensured with the required quality. Radio spectrum is available and planned to be used for MSS in the frequency bands 1 980 to 2 010 MHz and 2170 to 2 200 MHz (2 GHz bands), in accordance with decisions taken by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) at the WARC-92.