26. Welcomes the Commission’s proposals on the Connecting Europe Facility covering TEN-T, TEN-E and ICT guidelines as this financial instrument will play an important role in developing better connectivity between all component parts of integrated Single Market - transport, energy and broadband networks; stresses the importance of developing comprehensive multimodal EU transport infrastructure network, inter alia, addressing the issues of lack of appropriate infrastructure, accessibility and low interoperability between various parts of the EU; stresses a need to help Member States to meet core energy objectives concerning supply, competitiveness and sustainability; also stresses a need to help Member States to meet the ...[+++]targets set in the ‘Digital Agenda for Europe’ and believes that investment in energy and telecom infrastructure should be market driven with public finance provided only in cases where there is a genuine market failure;

However, given the specificities of the broadband sector, in this case any compensation granted should only cover the costs of rolling out an infrastructure to the non-profitable areas . Where an SGEI for the deployment of a broadband network is not based on the deployment of a publicly-owned infrastructure adequate review and claw back mechanisms should be put in place in order to avoid that the SGEI provider obtains an undue advantage by retaining ownership of the network that was financed with public funds after the end of the SGEI concession.

38. Notes that public authorities have an important role to play in stimulating broadband network roll-out, and that they should consider measures to encourage demand, and investment in fixed infrastructure; calls for a clear framework for infrastructure investment that should not distort markets nor be operated on terms that are unfair to private enterprises; commends the Commission for having clarified the State aid rules on participation by public authorities in broadband development programmes;

By reinforcing RTD activities, enabling broad access to Internet, speeding up the construction of trans-European broadband telecommunication networks and ensuring the wide dissemination of the necessary information technology skills through education and training of the population, it aims to remove most of the remaining problems, particularly prevalent in the peripheral regions, with regard to access to innovative technology and information.

In its broad economic policy guidelines, the Commission recommended that "Member States should:.ensure effective competition in local telecommunication networks (the 'local loop') in order to speed up the development of the European broadband network".

As from the year 2000, the new Minerva action under the Socrates II programme and the fifth Community RD framework programme will make it possible to speed up the development and experimentation of innovative teaching methods, the availability of multimedia educational applications using wide band telecommunications infrastructures, and tools whereby Internet's huge resources can be used for learning purposes.