Following Spain’s accession to the European Economic Community, Spanish companies are impatient to play a role on the world stage, and office systems and communications specialist Amper SA of Madrid is one of the most ambitious. It has already gobbled up two smaller companies in its home market, the packet-switching specialist Telefonia y Datos, and the telephone maintenance firm Electronica Aragonesa SA, and it is now looking beyond its borders. According to Reuter, it will shortly announce a 35% stake in a small unidentified French telecommunications company as a first step to getting a foreign outlet for the display terminals, answering machines and PABXs it builds. And the next step will be a joint venture with Olivetti SpA and unidentified French and German companies for joint development of office communications systems that each partner will sell in its own market. Finishing touches are to be put to the agreement next month. Compania Telefonica Nacional de Espana has a 15% stake in Amper and five banks hold another 15%.