Brussels, 07/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 7 May, the European Commission adopted the first report on the application of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AMS directive). The report, which covers the period 2009-2010, shows that the new directive produces positive effects, but the development of connected TV (i.e. to the internet) calls for future changes in order to reinforce its effectiveness. So far, 25 member states have fully transposed the directive into their national legislation. Poland and Belgium have still to adapt theirs.
The AMS directive allows the free movement of audiovisual content, whilst laying down major objectives of general interest (ban on incitement to hatred, protection of minors from harmful content, promotion of European works). The first report stresses that:
Advertising: the directive sets a maximum of 12 minutes in every hour for televised advertising and tele-purchasing. This rule is regularly infringed and has led to the appearance of new advertising formats, designed to get round this, in the sample of countries studied by the Commission. The member states concerned have been sent warnings by the Commission, which will start infringement proceedings if necessary.
Alcohol: in the sample examined, the Commission noted that the rules on advertising for alcoholic drinks were being observed. Readers may recall that 22 member states have brought in tougher rules than those laid down in the AMS directive.
Children: the directive requires commercial communications not to harm minors, for example by inciting them to buy a product or service. The analysis of the 100 most frequently-shown adverts showed that these provisions are rarely infringed. Nonetheless, advertising techniques targeting minors are frequently used in TV advertising. It is worth noting that five member states have bans on advertising during children's programmes, four have a partial ban and seven have banned displays of sponsorship logos during children's television programmes.
Discrimination: of the most frequently-shown 100 advertisements, a stereotypical representation of gender roles was noted in between 21% and 36% of cases. None of the eight countries analysed escaped this observation. The Commission will continue its checks in this area and will update certain aspects of the guidelines on TV advertising in 2013.
Connected TV: the inclusion of internet connectivity in traditional television sets allows greater intervention in selecting programmes (on-demand services). Currently, only 20% to 30% of televisions are properly connected to the internet, but developments are likely to be swift over the years to come. The Commission, which wishes to see Europeans fully benefiting from the new services available and from quality access to audiovisual works through connected devices, with a sufficient degree of protection, will launch a public consultation on connected TV in the second half of 2012. (IL/transl.fl)