WRITTEN QUESTION P-2567/99 by LORD Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB).
C 225 E/168 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 8. 8. 2000 (2000/C 225 E/184) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2566/99 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Extending the deadline for discontinuing the use of super leaded petrol What is the Commissionís position on allowing extensions to the 1 January 2000 deadline for discontinu- ing the use of super leaded petrol for some countries facing considerable difficulties, such as Greece where an estimated two million vehicles or more will be directly affected unless an extension is granted? Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission (21 January 2000) The Commission would inform the Honourable Member that it has granted Greece a derogation to continue to permit the marketing of leaded petrol within its territory until 31 December 2001. (2000/C 225 E/185) WRITTEN QUESTION P-2567/99 by LORD Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission (16 December 1999) Subject: Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) Does the Commission support the introduction of DAB across the Community and what steps is it taking actively to promote it? Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission (10 January 2000) The Commission welcomes the development of digital radio services on appropriate platforms in view of the important role that radio plays in the Community in social, cultural and economic terms and taking into account the current and potential advantages of digital transmissions. The Commission is therefore following digital radio developments very closely, including DAB (1), and has regular contacts with the parties involved in this process. However the Commission considers that regulatory intervention in the area of electronic communications should comply with a number of principles, and in particular the principle of technological neutrality (see: Towards a new framework for electronic communications infrastructure and associated services ü The 1999 communications review (2)í). Technological neutrality is particularly important because any kind of service can increasingly be delivered by any network or platform as technologies converge. Radio services are also being delivered via digital television platforms and the Internet; and new technologies such as Universal mobile telecommunications systems (UMTS) are being considered. Promoting any particular technology therefore carries a high risk of market distortion. Consequently, the Commission is not actively promoting the introduction of any particular digital radio system across the Community. (1) i. e the system developed by Project No 147 of the Eureka Programme. The main elements of this system have been standardised by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) through norms EN 300 797; EN 300 798 and EN 300 799 notably. (2) COM(1999) 539 final