WORLD TRADE GATS/SC/71/Suppl.2
11April 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1473)
Trade inServices
POLAND
Schedule ofSpecific Commitments
Supplement 2
(This isauthentic inEnglish only)
________________
Thistextsupplements theentries relating totheTelecommunication services section contained
onpages 10to11ofdocument GATS/SC/71.GATS/SC/71/Suppl.2
Page2POLAND -SCHEDULE OFSPECIFIC COMMITMENTS
Modes ofsupply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orSub-sector Limitations onMarket Access Limitations onNational Treatment Additional Commitments
2.C.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SERVICES (excluding
broadcasting*)
Allsub-sectors Modes 1),2),3),4)
Theinstallation andusage of
telecommunications equipment andnetworks
andtheprovision oftelecommunication
services requires alicence orpermission,
withtheexception ofcases specified bythe
Minister ofCommunications inhisordinance.
Thelicences andpermissions areavailable
onlyfortheentities registered inPoland.
Therequirement toobtain licences and
permission does notconcern thenational
operator: Telekomunikacja Polska SA
(TPSA).
Theentities withforeign participation in
Poland must taketheform oflimited liability
companies andjoint stock companies
established inPoland.Modes 1),2),3),4)
When thelimitations offoreign participation
areapplied, Polish citizens domiciliated in
Poland must have majority intheboard of
directors andsupervising body.Asannexed
*Broadcasting isdefined astheuninterrupted chain oftransmission required forthedistribution oftvandradio programme signals tothegeneral public, butdoesnot
cover contribution links between operators.GATS/SC/71/Suppl.2
Page3Modes ofsupply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orSub-sector Limitations onMarket Access Limitations onNational Treatment Additional Commitments
Entities withforeign participation arenot
allowed toowninternational networks orto
render international facilities based services
until 31Dec. 2002.
With reference tointernational anddomestic
long-distance services andnetworks the
limitation offoreign capital andvoting rights
is49%.
Number oflicences andpermissions canbe
subject tothepublicly available licensing
criteria.GATS/SC/71/Suppl.2
Page4Modes ofsupply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orSub-sector Limitations onMarket Access Limitations onNational Treatment Additional Commitments
2.C:
(a) Voice-telephone services;
(b) Packet-switched data
transmission services;
(c) Circuit-switched data
transmission services;
(d) Telex services;
(e) Telegraph services;
(f) Facsimile services;
(g) Private leased circuit
services;
International, longdistance,
local,
- public andnon-public,
- facilities-based andon
resale-base,
- wire-based and
radio-based.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None except:
(a) excluded from allcommitments:
-international public voice
telephone, telex andtelegraph
services until 31Dec. 2002,
-long-distance domestic public voice
telephone services andnetworks
until 31Dec. 2002,
-domestic telex andtelegraph
services andnetworks until 31Dec.
1999,
(b) territorial areaofthelicences and
permissions forthelocal public voice
telephone services andnetworks canbe
subject tothepublicly available
licensing criteria.
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal
measures(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal
measuresGATS/SC/71/Suppl.2
Page5Modes ofsupply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orSub-sector Limitations onMarket Access Limitations onNational Treatment Additional Commitments
o. others
- cable television andradio
networks services;
- public cellular mobile
telephone services and
networks,(1) Unbound
(2) Unbound
(3) Thelimitation offoreign capital and
voting rights is49%
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal
measures.
(1) None except:
-onlythrough useoftheinternational
network ofTPS.A. until 31Dec. 2002
(2) None except:
-onlythrough useoftheinternational
network ofTPSAuntil 31Dec. 2002
andaccording totheinternational
agreements.
(3) None except:
-thelimitation offoreign capital and
voting rights is49%.
-onlythrough theuseofTPS.A.
infrastructure, except microwave
connections inthecaseifTPS.A. isnot
abletoestablish such connections inthe
limited period oftime until 31Dec.
2002.
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal
measures.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal
measures.
(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal
measures.GATS/SC/71/Suppl.2
Page6Modes ofsupply: 1) Cross-border supply 2) Consumption abroad 3) Commercial presence 4) Presence ofnatural persons
Sector orSub-sector Limitations onMarket Access Limitations onNational Treatment Additional Commitments
- mobile satellite services
andnetworks(1),2),3) None asof1January 2003.
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal measures(1),2),3) None
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal measures
- paging 1),2) Unbound except pan-european
paging systems
(3) None
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal
measures.(1) None
(2) None
(3) None
(4) Unbound except forhorizontal
measures.
Note 1:Theoperators authorised totakepartintheactivity inthescope ofallpublic fixed telephone networks andother non-public telephone networks exceeding the
geographic area (voivodship) areobliged toapply intheir networks switching devices andinterexchange teletransmission equipment belonging tothree
telecommunications systems selected bymeans ofdecision ofthePolish Government. Theabove obligation concerns alsoother non-telephone telecommunication
network exceeding thegeographic area(voivodship) inthescope ofinterexchange teletransmission equipment. Theabove limitation willexpire notlaterthanin
1999.
Note 2:Theproject ofanewTelecommunications Actwillbeprepared bytheendofyear1997.GATS/SC/71/Suppl.2
Page7
TheRepublic ofPoland
ANNEX
Additional commitments
Schedule onbasic telecom services
Scope
Thefollowingaredefinitionsandprinciplesontheregulatoryframeworkforthebasictelecommunications
services.
Definitions
Users mean service consumers andservice suppliers.
Essential facilities mean facilities ofapublic telecommunications transport network orservice that
(a) areexclusively orpredominantly provided byasingle orlimited number ofsuppliers;
and
(b) cannot feasibly beeconomically ortechnically substituted inorder toprovide aservice.
Amajor supplier isasupplier which hastheability tomaterially affect theterms ofparticipation (having
regard toprice andsupply) intherelevant market forbasic telecommunications services asaresult
of:
(a) control overessential facilities; or
(b) useofitsposition inthemarket.
1. Competitive safeguards
1.1 Prevention ofanti-competitive practices intelecommunications
Appropriate measures shallbemaintained forthepurpose ofpreventing suppliers who, alone
ortogether, areamajor supplier from engaging inorcontinuing anti-competitive practices.
1.2 Safeguards
Theanti-competitive practices referred toabove shallinclude inparticular:
(a) engaging inanti-competitive cross-subsidisation;
(b) using information obtained from competitors withanti-competitive results; and
(c) notmaking available toother services suppliers onatimely basistechnical information
about essential facilities andcommercially relevant information which arenecessary
forthem toprovide services.GATS/SC/71/Suppl.2
Page8
2. Interconnection
2.1 Thissection applies tolinking withsuppliers providing public telecommunications transport
networks orservices inorder toallow theusers ofonesupplier tocommunicate withusers ofanother
supplierandtoaccessservicesprovidedbyanothersupplier,wherespecificcommitmentsareundertaken.
2.2 Interconnection tobeensured
Interconnection withamajor supplier willbeensured atanytechnically feasible point inthe
network. Such interconnection isprovided.
(a) under non-discriminatory terms, conditions (including technical standards and
specifications) andratesandofaquality nolessfavourable thanthatprovided forits
ownlikeservices orforlikeservices ofnon-affiliated service suppliers orforits
subsidiaries orother affiliates;
(b) inatimely fashion, onterms, conditions (including technical standards and
specifications) andcost-oriented ratesthataretransparent, reasonable, having regard
toeconomic feasibility, andsufficiently unbundled sothatthesupplier neednotpay
fornetwork components orfacilities thatitdoesnotrequire fortheservice tobe
provided; and
(c) upon request, atpoints inaddition tothenetwork termination points offered tothe
majority ofusers, subject tocharges thatreflect thecostofconstruction ofnecessary
additional facilities.
2.3 Public availability oftheprocedures forinterconnection negotiations
Theproceduresapplicableforinterconnectiontoamajorsupplierwillbemadepubliclyavailable.
2.4 Transparency ofinterconnection arrangements
Itisensured thatamajor supplier willmake publicly available either itsinterconnection
agreements orareference interconnection offer.
2.5 Interconnection: dispute settlement
Aservice supplier requesting interconnection withamajor supplier willhaverecourse, either:
(a) atanytimeor
(b) afterareasonable period oftimewhich hasbeenmade publicly known toanindependent
domestic body, which maybearegulatory bodyasreferred toinparagraph 5below,
toresolve disputes regarding appropriate terms, conditions andratesforinterconnection
within areasonable period oftime, totheextent thatthese havenotbeenestablished
previously.GATS/SC/71/Suppl.2
Page9
3. Universal service
AnyMemberhastherighttodefinethekindofuniversalserviceobligationitwishestomaintain.
Such obligations willnotberegarded asanti-competitive perse,provided theyareadministered in
atransparent, non-discriminatory andcompetitively neutral manner andarenotmore burdensome than
necessary forthekindofuniversal service defined bytheMember.
4. Public availability oflicensing criteria
Where alicence isrequired, thefollowing willbemade publicly available:
(a) allthelicensing criteria andtheperiod oftimenormally required toreach adecision
concerning anapplication foralicence and
(b) theterms andconditions ofindividual licences.
Thereasons forthedenial ofalicence willbemade known totheapplicant upon request.
5. Independent regulators
Theregulatory body isseparate from, andnotaccountable to,anysupplier ofbasic
telecommunications services. Thedecisions ofandtheprocedures usedbyregulators shallbeimpartial
withrespect toallmarket participants.
6. Allocation anduseofscarce resources
Anyprocedures fortheallocation anduseofscarce resources, including frequencies, numbers
andrightsofway,willbecarriedoutinanobjective,timely,transparentandnon-discriminatorymanner.
Thecurrent stateofallocated frequency bands willbemade publicly available, butdetailed identification
offrequencies allocated isnotrequired.