15/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - United States/free trade, Barroso as vague as De Gucht on audiovisual services. “We must not exclude the audiovisual sector from the scope of the negotiations (for a transatlantic free trade agreement) but the cultural exception - in other words the audiovisual quotas and subsidies given by the states - is not negotiable”, stated President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso at a press briefing alongside French President François Hollande, who was visiting Brussels on Wednesday 15 May (see other article). Speaking through their culture minister, 14 member states, led by France, have this week written to the Irish Presidency to demand the exclusion of the audiovisual sector from the EU-US free trade negotiations. They ask for the cultural exception to be fully maintained. (EH/transl.fl)