INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS

News

Main areas of work

GATS/WTO 

• GATS Agreement on telecommunications:  follow-up of implementation by third countries
• Preparation of GATS 2000 on telecommunications and electronic commerce
• Telecommunications:  Accession of new members to the WTO
   

Enlargement to Eastern and Mediterranean countries 

• Preparation of negotiation positions (12 candidates, Turkey);
• Regulatory dialogue; support and implementation of pre-accession strategy and advice for regulatory reform as part of the programmes Phare, Tacis, MEDA, etc.;
• e-Europe+: A Co-operative effort of the Candidate Countries
  to implement the Information Society in Europe;

Other International Organisations 

• International Telecommunications Union
  - Preparation of international conferences (WRC, Standards including reform of accounting rates, Policy Forum, etc.)
  - Bureau for Telecommunications Development:  regulatory reforms

• Liaison with international financing organisations (IBRD, EBRD, EIB) on regulatory strategy and policy
• OECD:  activities related to telecommunications, Internet and electronic commerce

Bilateral and Regional Dialogues 

• Dialogues with industrialised countries
  - USA:  Information Society Dialogue; relations with FCC (comments on NPRMs); market access issues; TEP; TABD
  - Japan:  dialogues with MITI and MPT; deregulation in Japan
  - Canada:  dialogue on telecommunications and the Information Society

• New Independent States
  - Russia
  - Ukraine, etc. - implementation of regulatory reforms and Tacis projects

• Dialogues with certain regions or developing countries
  - Dialogue with Mediterranean countries:  regional telecommunications programme; Arab League; Gulf Co-operation Council
  - Dialogue with Latin American countries:  Mercosur, Andine Pact
  - Africa:  regulatory changes concerning the Lomé renegotiation
  - China
  - India