This Decision establishes guidelines covering the objectives, priorities and broad lines of measures envisaged in the sphere of trans-European networks in the area of telecommunications infrastructure.

Whereas Article 129c of the Treaty requires the Community to establish a series of guidelines covering the objectives, priorities and broad lines of measures envisaged in the sphere of trans-European networks;

The Council shall furthermore examine whether the contents of the stability programme facilitate the closer coordination of economic policies and whether the economic policies of the Member State concerned are consistent with the broad economic policy guidelines.

The Council shall furthermore examine whether the contents of the convergence programme facilitate the closer coordination of economic policies and whether the economic policies of the Member State concerned are consistent with the broad economic policy guidelines.

Whereas in its communication of 24 July 1993 on preparatory actions in the field of trans-European networks in respect of integrated broadband communications, the Commission recognized the need to carry out preparatory actions with the sector actors to draw up appropriate guidelines;

Whereas the multilateral surveillance procedure of Article 103 (3) and (4) should furthermore continue to monitor the full range of economic developments in each of the Member States and in the Community as well as the consistency of economic policies with the broad economic guidelines referred to in Article 103 (2);

whereas the Economic and Financial Committee is to contribute to the preparation of the work of the Council, inter alia, for recommendations required as part of multilateral surveillance and the broad economic guidelines set down in Article 103 of the Treaty, and for decisions required as part of the excessive deficit procedure set down in Article 104c of the Treaty;

Whereas the creation of a more favourable context for the development of trans-European energy networks is part of the broad lines of measures within the meaning of Article 129c of the Treaty and is provided for in Decision No 1254/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 1996 laying down a series of guidelines on trans-European energy networks (5);

The broad economic policy guidelines together with the report on their implementation and the annual Commission Communication on "Economic reform - report on the functioning of product and capital markets' (Cardiff Report)(32) provide the framework for, among other things, assessing on a regular basis the functioning of services of general economic interest in the single market.

Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network(5) constitutes a general reference framework covering the objectives, priorities and broad thrust of the measures contemplated as well as the projects of common interest in the area of the trans-European transport network.

The Brussels European Council of 20 and 21 March 2003 confirmed that the employment strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives of the Lisbon strategy, and that the employment strategy and the broad economic policy guidelines, which provide the overarching economic policy coordination for the Community, should operate in a consistent way.