The European Telecommunications Council has adopted a resolution establishing the framework for a Community policy on digital video broadcasting. The Council says that it considers the best means of encouraging the use of digital technologies is to adopt, from the outset, a harmonious approach based on a long-term perspective and that common standards constitute an essential prerequisite in this connection. Initially, the Council will leave the responsibility of concluding the agreements needed to introduce common standards to ‘economic agents’, but warns that it will introduce regulatory measures if consensus is not reached in a given, but unspecified, time, or if the requirements for fair and open competition and consumer interest so demand. The Council also reported that it has not yet adopted a common position on television signals broadcasting standards. However, it is said to be close to agreement on this issue and it is likely that any agreement will herald the ditching of the currently compulsory D2-MAC and HD-MAC standards.
