ECO

WGRR 1 - 5 October 2001, Liège, Belgium.

1. Special day on fees and charges

Project Team RR8 had prepared the agenda and speakers for this day on fees and charges, which had been arranged to allow some time for delegates to hear about changes occurring in CEPT Administrations with respect to fees and charges policies related to spectrum management. Copies of tha agenda and all the presentations are available on the ERO web-site: http://www.ero.dk/EROWEB/RR%20Fees%20day/Fees-index.htm

2. Conformity Assessment matters

Ultra Wide Band (UWB) Devices.

At the WGFM meeting the previous week, proposals on 24 GHz radar had been rejected and they requested ETSI to remove their draft standard from Public Enquiry. Therefore SE 24 would not yet begin their studies on the compatibility issues. The UWB workshop previously scheduled for 21 November had been postponed to spring 2002. In discussion comments were made that regulatory issues were also involved in this topic, and that UWBs have the potential to interfere with other services; therefore special conditions may need to be applied to use of the equipment. WGRR noted and supported the work of WGSE and recognised that they needed to monitor developments in order to address the regulatory issues at an appropriate time in the future. WGRR concluded that good liaison between all WGs would be needed in order to ensure that all aspects of the topic are considered.

Report of the SRD MG

The report of the SRD MG to the WGFM in which there were a few points of interest to WGRR:

a) The SRD MG had produced draft strategic plans for the 860 MHz and 2.4 GHz bands in which they proposed that third party traffic should not be allowed

b) There is a new scheme for duty cycles for 433 MHz equipment;

c) RFIDs at 2.4 GHz were to be exempt from licensing, although they used relatively high powers.

Questions had been raised with the EU Commission about the inclusion of power levels in standards or interface requirements. A formal response has been received but not yet fully understood; initial indications were that the requirement for capability of power control could be in the standard and power levels in radio interfaces.

WGRR expressed their concern that they had not had the opportunity to comment on any of the proposals which had been put to WGFM.

3. WRC2003

The report of the third meeting of the CPG to the ERC was introduced. The proposals from RR2 on maritime issues had been agreed by CPG.

With regards to amateur radio topics, at the CPG meeting the Russian Federation made a reservation on the draft ECP on Agenda item 1.7.2 (Article S19), but the draft brief was approved with minor editorial amendment. In addition the Russian Federation strongly opposed any future proposals for the deletion of Article 25.3 and 25.5 (which were subject to further discussions within RR6). The draft ECP on S19 was returned to RR6 for further work.

Administrations were urged to participate in the work of RR2 and RR6 who were preparing the inputs for CPG. In discussion Chair CPG PT4 noted that it was possible for an Administration to put a reservation on whole or part of an input from CEPT; and it was requested that, in such cases, Administrations should make their intentions known to WGRR before draft texts were agreed to be forwarded to CPG.

The Russian Federation introduced their document which explained the points of difficulty and agreed to submit documents to the next meeting of RR6 to deal with amateur radio topics which would be held on 4 and 5 December in Prague.

Maritime issues

WRC 2003 agenda item 1.9

This agenda item concerns amendments to Appendix S13 (The old distress and safety communications provisions. I.e. non-GMDSS) and Resolution 331 on transition to GMDSS.

RR2 has agreed to support a proposal from Denmark which suggests a final date for the cessation of mandatory listening watch to be 01.02.2005, proposed earlier by MSC. Further, it is proposed that an MSC resolution should be developed in order to encourage ships to continue watchkeeping on channel 16 on a voluntary basis after that date, recognising the advantages of using channel 16 also as a common calling channel for general and/or navigational communications.

RR2 further considered the amount of work that is needed to delete the provisions in APS13 concerning the use of 500 kHz for distress and safety communications.

RR2 agreed that the amount of work to delete the relevant provisions in APS13 is considerable and concluded that insufficient time is available to RR2 to develop an ECP to cover this low priority matter, and that such work should be deferred to a later date. The regulatory impact of delaying this work is negligible

WRC 2003 agenda item 1.10

This agenda item concerns exhaustion of the maritime mobile service numbering resource and shore-to-ship distress communications priorities.

With reference to the minutes of the RR2 meeting in The Hague (May 2001), RR2 will have to wait until ITU WP8B has dealt with this matter.

WRC 2003 agenda item 1.14

This agenda item concerns harmful interference to the HF bands allocated to the maritime mobile and aeronautical( R) mobile service and the channel arrangements in the maritime MF and HF bands concerning use of digital technology.

A major difficulty on this agenda item is how to ensure that the distress and safety frequencies 12290 kHz and 16420 kHz are kept as exclusive distress and safety frequencies as agreed at WRC-2000. The associated proposal from Denmark was agreed by RR2. The Danish document proposes a new resolution which allows certain MRCC’s to use the frequencies 12290 kHz and 16420 kHz for limited general calling for safety related communications, subject to specified safeguards.

ITU WP8B

RR2 has considered and agreed to support input documents to ITU WP8B by Denmark regarding WRC-03 agenda items 1.9 and 1.14. RR2 has also commented on a proposal from UK regarding amendments to ITU-R M.693, which is a follow-up of the agreement that was made at the meeting in London

4. Maritime work items

Report of RR2

The chairman of RR2 reported from the work of RR2. A major part of the work currently being undertaken in RR2 concerns the preparations for WRC-03 and ITU WP8B. RR2 has made good progress in its work.

A one day meeting of RR2 outside the normal meeting schedule was held in London 24 August 2001 to deal with a request from TCAM regarding the introduction of a VHF handheld radio with a channel 70 DSC alerting facility. TCAM had requested RR2 to decide which functional safety requirements should apply to portable VHF DSC radio equipment for use on small vessels.

In response to this RR2 agreed that the only forum in which these requirements could be determined is the ITU. Equipment for use within the GMDSS on non-SOLAS vessels is required to comply with the ITU Radio Regulations and R&TTE Directive. Consequently, RR2 agreed that an existing ITU-R Recommendation (ITU-R M.693) should be revised to take into account this type of equipment. Equipment such as the HD52 should then be redeveloped as a VHF DSC EPIRB in accordance with the revised ITU-R Recommendation.

Monitoring of IMO matters

The agenda for the next meeting of COMSAR to be held in February 2002 was considered. It was noted that it is important that the IMO position on various WRC-03 agenda items can be agreed at that meeting. The COMSAR meeting will be held the same week in February 2002 as CPG-3.

RR2 will consider the report on IMO positions for WRC-03 agenda items from the previous COMSAR meeting (COMSAR-5) at its next meeting in January.

5. Work items on licensing and free circulation

The ERC had agreed to further work being done on electronic licensing. A meeting would be arranged for the second half of January to progress that topic and also generic Decisions, satellite issues, free circulation of TETRA DMO terminals, and future licensing policy.

Chairman noted that the situation should be clearer on the contents of the new EU licensing directive in the New Year and that it should be taken into account in the work of RR6.

6. Matters concerning radio fees and charges

ERC Report on Satellite fees

The Draft ERC Report on Satellite fees was presented for approval. Administrations were asked to check the information in it and send any amendments to ERO within 6 weeks. It would be presented to the next WGRR meeting for final adoption, only if there were major comments raised in the consultation

Progress Report on refarming

The draft ERC Report would be further developed and a draft presented at the next WGRR meeting.

7. Enforcement

RR11 had started preparation for a day on enforcement and market surveillance at the WGRR meeting in February 2002. In connection with that, a questionnaire had been sent to Administrations requesting information about enforcement and market surveillance activities in Administrations.

Draft ERC Report on enforcement aspects of market surveillance and radio equipment inspection procedures including training of staff

RR11 had produced an initial draft of this report. Further work would be required, and Administrations were invited to send comments. It was agreed that a further draft of the report would take account of comments made during the enforcement day in the February meeting.

8. Radio Amateurs

CITEL application to join T/R 61-01

The result of the email correspondence group’s consideration of the CITEL application was discussed and approved. It was agreed that a response should be sent to CITEL suggesting that an MOU be agreed and signed between CEPT and CITEL. The text of the draft MOU was drafted during the meeting, which would be sent to CITEL for their comments. Chairman would give a report on these developments to ECC in November.

Secrecy of amateur radio communications

Finland introduced a possible conflict between Finnish national law and the ITU RR relating to the reception of amateur radio communications. Finland asked for information about the situation in other Administrations. Denmark explained their situation. In the general discussion other Administrations said that they had not encountered any difficulties; and IARU are not aware of any problems. Chairman invited Finland to circulate a short questionnaire to Administrations if they wished to obtain more definite information, and suggested they might like to report back to WGRR if there were any regulatory implications.

9. EU MATTERS

WGRR welcomed Mrs Bitten Clausen (DG Enterprise) who had recently joined the Commission to work with Mr Bogers as a national expert from Denmark. Mrs Clausen said that her duties included TCAM, EMC matters and evaluating draft radio Interface Requirements from Member States. With regards to Interfaces, she noted that many of the points raised with Member States by the Commission related to technical issues included in the interfaces; also licensing requirements. She reminded the meeting that Article 7.2 of the RTTE Directive said that no licensing was required unless there was a need to protect from interference.

In a general discussion about the work of TCAM, UK raised the point that one of the documents for the next meeting related to ultra low power equipment, their power limits, and licence exemption. In discussion it was noted that this topic had been raised before in a number of different fora; that WGSE had also studied it, and that TCAM had suggested the SRD MG consider it.

In conclusion WGRR looked forwards to welcoming Mrs Clausen to future meetings. WGRR wished to continue to be able to assist TCAM but requested that a work request with information about timescale and work required would be submitted by the Commission.

10. WORK OF JPT SAT

Chairman JPT SAT introduced a report of the recent meeting of the operation of the One Stop Shop for satellite licensing. There continued to be concern that only a relatively few Administrations had implemented the Decisions for this process and, of those, some were not able to do electronic processing. A letter was being sent to these Administration to request further information , which would be submitted to ECC in November.

It was noted that there had not been any representative form WGRR at that meeting of JPT SAT. Work was continuing on development of a refined licence application form (COM), and that a draft Decision on it might be produced after the ERC meeting in November.

JPT SAT had also prepared a plan for future work on the CSI proposals which would go to the ECC in November. In this they outlined the future work to be undertaken in various groups and suggested timescales. Much of this had been discussed at the joint meeting with JPT SAT at the last WGRR meeting.

Chairman RR6 said that the items related to licensing were already in the RR6 work programme and would be progressed. It was noted that items such as the production of common definitions was of wider application and should be undertaken centrally, perhaps by ERO. The Chairman noted that any work in that area would need to take account of the new EU package, and that some of the items identified by JPT SAT were of application to other sectors in addition to satellites.

11. CB

As mentioned in a previous meeting, ERO would post information about CB on the website

12. Date and place of next Meeting.

The next meeting will take place in Kandersteg, 4-8 February 2002 at the kind invitation of the Swiss Administration.