Brussels, 03/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 3 February, the European Commission announced that it had formally set in place the European group of regulatory authorities in the field of audiovisual media services. The group will be made up of senior representatives of national independent regulatory bodies in the field of audiovisual services, to advise the Commission in implementing the EU's Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) in a converged media age. “This group is a win-win outcome for audiovisual regulators and for the Commission: their independence is strengthened and everyone will work better together at a crucial time when we will be reviewing EU audiovisual rules in 2015”, said Commissioner in charge of the digital strategy Neelie Kroes.
The European landscape for broadcasting and audiovisual is evolving: today, content is distributed and viewed very quickly beyond borders and, increasingly, via online media. This creates an unprecedented challenge at regulatory level, obliging the independent authorities of the member states to work together closely. As well as its advisory function to the Commission for the correct transposition of the AVMSD directive, the European group will be ideally placed to act as an intermediary between the national regulatory authorities, for the exchange of experience and best practice. The independent high-level group on the freedom and pluralism of the media, which was created by the Commission, recommended cooperation of this kind in its 2013 report. The majority of the respondents who participated in the public consultation on the independence of the audiovisual media regulatory authorities also recommended more in-depth collaboration between the regulators and the creation of a European group (see EUROPE 10814). The European regulators group will meet for the first time on 4 March of this year, when it will appoint its chair, who will be in place for one year. (IL/transl.fl)