Late Thursday, the European Council of Ministers, telecommunications sub-branch, agreed in principle to end state monopolies over telecommunications infrastructure as well as service by January 1 1998, with Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland given an additional five years for full liberalisation and small networks such as Luxembourg’s an extra two years; there was no agreement to support a proposal by the European Commission for action in 1995 to allow existing alternative networks such as those operated by cable television companies or utilities to carry some telecommunications services, but the Commission itself may force that one through, using the dictatorial powers it has under the controversial Article 90 of the Treaty of Rome.
