The gas discharge panel described here is an AC plasma display panel with electrodes arranged on a substrate, and the electrodes and substrate are coated with a dielectric layer for insulation from the gas filled discharge space, with an improvement in the dielectric layer surface. The improvement being an overcoat layer of at least two alkaline earth compounds, especially CaO and SrO, provided on the dielectric layer surface of this display panel. This overcoat layer significantly lowers the operating voltages of the panel.