Processing of personnal data and protection of privacy in the telecommunications sector, ISDN

In approving the recommendation for second reading by Mr Manuel MEDINA ORTEGA (PSE, E) Parliament amended the Council's common position on the proposal for a directive concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the telecommunications sector. Parliament considered that the new text should also apply to the protection of the legitimate interests of the subscribers/legal persons and not only the natural persons. As the telecommunications networks and services are of a transnational nature the report gives an interpretation of the subsidiarity principle which limits the Member States' margin for manoeuvre. Several amendments have been adopted on these lines. Another significant amendment deletes the possibility for the Member States to allow operators to require a payment from subscribers if they do not wish their particulars to appear in a directory. �