The Major Planning Options (GOP) for 2003 were approved by Law no. 32-A/2002, published in Series I-A of the Diário da República of 30 December 2002.
The GOP, placing a special emphasis on the main governmental lines of action for 2003, determine four broad options for the four-year period 2003-2006: to strengthen a modern and effective State, endowed with authority; to regularize public finances and to develop the economy; to invest in the qualification of the Portuguese; to reinforce social justice and to ensure the equality of opportunities. Telecommunications, posts, the information society, the audiovisual and the multimedia are items dealt with in detail in the frame of the second and third options, the consumer protection being among the concerns that integrate the fourth option.
The telecommunications sector, separated out in the second option (?Regularizing public finances and developing the economy?), regards the following as the main governmental lines of action for 2003: the reinforcement of competition and regulation, namely the promotion of competition as to the provision of electronic communications networks and services, including the transposition and implementation of the new sectorial regulatory package, the so-called 99 Review, the protection of interests of citizen and the universal service guarantee, as well as the contribution for the European Union internal market; the security of information and of electronic commerce; the management of scarce resources, namely of radioelectric spectrum, numbering and portability; and the market development, improving consumer benefits by ensuring a variety of choice and making information available, in order to enable price comparison and quality of service.
With regard to the postal sector, also integrated in the second option, the main objective is ?to ensure the quality of postal services, at affordable prices for all users?, through ?a gradual, controlled liberalisation of the postal services, following the adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the Directive 2002/39/CE?, the respective transposition and implementation being ensured.
As far as the communications regulatory authority ? ANACOM ? is concerned, the document recommends its maintenance ?with powers in matters concerning the verification of competition and service quality levels?, asserting that ?the Government regards the absolute independence of this authority as an indispensable condition for the credibility of its decisions and the consequent image, for clients and investors, of the sector companies listed on the stock exchange.? The prevention of practices of price coordination or of abuse of dominant positions, as well as of predatory practices, conducive to maintaining dominant positions by operators already in the market, deserves a special attention by the regulatory authority, in view of the oligopolization of the different segments of the sector.
The mentioned law acknowledges, on the other hand, the potential licensing of scarce resources to operators that prove a higher capacity to generate wealth, without affecting the quality of services provided. In cases where technologies are identified as crucial for the country?s development, licensing for their exploration shall be promoted through public tender, licenses being granted mainly by taking into account the technological soundness of the proposal and the required compensations.
The reinforcement of competition and regulation represents actually one of the main issues of the Program for the Economy Productivity and Growth (PECE), involving the establishment of the Competition Authority, the dissolution of the Competition Council and the restructuring of the Directorate-General for Commerce and Competition, as well as the entry into force of the new Competition Law.
The promotion of the Information and Knowledge Society, fundamental political commitment provided in the scope of the third option (?Investing in the qualification of the Portuguese?), comprises three strategic objectives: to ensure for Portugal a position as a country with a high performance at the level of the Information Society (IS) indicators, to attain the goals of the eEurope 2005 Action Plan and to modernize the State organization, rendering it citizen-orientated. For this purpose, five levels of intervention are foreseen: e-government, general access to the Internet, digital economy, information and communication technologies (ICT) and digital security.
In the e-government area, objectives shall be rendered concrete through the establishment of the Info 2005 Strategic Plan and of the Strategic Plan for Electronic Public Services, main guiding instruments, as well as through the adoption of several measures such as the digitalisation of all public services as from 2003, the launching of the web portal ?Portugal online?, of web portals for enterprises and for the civil servants and the launching of an enquiry telephone number providing information on Public Administration, among others.
Having in view a mass access to the Internet, the central objectives point towards the fight against info-exclusion and the access of citizens with special needs to the IS, namely by means of the launching of the Program ?Everyone online with everyone?.
In the frame of the digital economy, the Government is aiming for the creation of conditions for an enterprise access and of incentive mechanisms to the development of the provision of services in the digital economy area, as well as for the strengthening of the presence of national enterprises in the Internet.
The objectives at the ICT level are directed, in the first place, to a broadband accessible to everyone, at affordable prices, being the main technological commitment for 2003, thus ensuring the access and use of all telecommunication networks by operators, allowing the launching of new services and contents at competitive prices. To that end, the Government shall promote the establishment of service operators and of alternative infrastructures, the opening, in fair conditions, of dominant infrastructures (at the level of local loop and interconnection prices) and a strong and sound competition in the sector, in order to prevent situations of abuse of power and cross subsidization.
With regard to the digital security item, the creation of a National Digital Security Plan is foreseen, aiming the adoption of solutions regarding network and information security, the launching of public awareness and information campaigns and the reinforcement of the effectiveness of national intervention devices concerning computer urgencies.
Also in the frame of the third option, the document refers the audiovisual and multimedia area (in the scope of the Culture area) and the sector of social communication, pointing respectively to the definition of an integrated strategy for the multimedia and telecommunications, in accordance with European directives, and to the need to keep up with the process of the digital television launching, ?in order to ensure that it actually contributes for a better service provided to users, in an environment that guarantees competition rules and citizens rights.?
As to the consumer protection item (fourth option ? ?Reinforcing social justice and ensuring equality of opportunity?), its guidelines include the effectiveness of their rights and the guarantee and supervision of compliance with obligations established under the law, the fundamental means for the creation of a desired critical conscience on the part of the citizens being provided through consumer information and education.
