THE HAGUE, 09/02/06 - Telecom watchdog OPTA has decided to restrict contacts with financial analysts and advisors. From now on, a special meeting will be organised for them twice yearly. "We can no longer accede to interim requests for meetings, visits, telephone interviews, etcetera".

Previously, OPTA had no fixed policy for dealing with the financial world. It agreed to requests for visits and meetings depending on the capacity available for this. This manner of operation will stop, "partly against the background of the tightened-up financial regulations."

Since last October, the Financial Markets Authority (AFM) has been monitoring the provision of information for the bourse floor more closely. ICT company Getronics had its knuckles rapped in November after CEO Klaas Wagenaar gave price-sensitive information to a journalist. The AFM suspended trade in Getronics. Since then, companies have been more cautious on the provision of information.

OPTA will now also restrict itself because "every interested person must, as far as reasonably possible, access to the same amount of information." In the spring, there will be a meeting on the publication of OPTA's annual report and the monitoring reports for the electronic communication and postal markets. In the autumn, there will be a meeting on the publication of OPTA's overview of the market and the strategic agenda for the subsequent year.