took place in Bergen, Norway during the week 14–18 September 2015 at which was adopted the final European Common Proposal for WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.4 the adoption of a European Common Proposal for an allocation of 100 kHz between 5350 and 5450 kHz for the Amateur Service. The ITU 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) took place in Geneva, Switzerland from 2 until 27 November 2015, where Agenda Item 1.4 went through a significant amount of discussion and debate until a consensus was eventually reached, whereby at the Concluding Meeting of WRC-15 on 27 November 2015, a Final Act was signed, approving a secondary amateur allocation of 5351.5–5366.5 kHz. Most stations are limited to 15 watts EIRP, with the exception of Mexico, who are allowed 20 W EIRP, and Central & South America, plus most of the Caribbean areas who are permitted 25 W EIRP. (see adjoining WRC-15 regulations extract for full country information). The allocation went into effect from January 1, 2017. Bandplan A bandplan has been adopted by the IARU (International Amateur Radio Union), for the WRC-15 60m Secondary allocation (5351.5–5366.5 kHz). The bandplan strongly recommends that the WRC-15 frequencies should only be used if other 5 MHz frequencies, allocated under Article 4.4, are not available. It does not require stations to adopt the USB dial frequencies of 5354, 5357, 5360 and 5363 kHz but these frequencies provide a good fit with the American channel on 5357 kHz, and UK stations which can use 5354 and 5363 kHz but not 5360 kHz. Also, it is only by using these exact frequencies that there will be enough room for four simultaneous SSB conversations without mutual interference, assuming the 2.8 kHz de facto standard bandwidth of typical SSB transceivers. WRC-15 frequencies, like all others, can only be used when they have been licensed for amateur use by a country's regulator. Propagation characteristics Lying approximately halfway between 80 m (3.5 MHz) and 40 m (7 MHz), the 60-meter (5 MHz) band forms a communication bridge when propagation effects make use of 80 or 40 m impossible for local-to-medium distance communications – usually between , often needed in emergency communication scenarios where there is no existing normal communications infrastructure or where the normal communications infrastructure has been devastated by either manmade or natural disaster(s). Less affected by D-Layer absorption than 80 m, the 60-meter (5 MHz) band is an ideal candidate for Near