Brussels, 17/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - Two years before possible review of the "Television without Frontiers" Directive, the European Commission gives a satisfactory report on it and does not for the time being envisage major changes. The main aim, it states in the third report on application of the directive, published on Tuesday, is to create the conditions necessary for the free movement of television programmes and the directive has shown itself to be well suited to the changing audiovisual scene in Europe.
With a turnover that is now over EUR 50 billion annually, the television broadcasting sector has been characterised since 1997 by great dynamism, and "this figure should be further boosted by the consolidation which has taken place between 1997 and 2000", notes the European Commission, which returns in its report to the different provisions of the European legislation and to their respect by Member States. Three states (Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands) have not yet transposed the directive into their national legislation and there is action being taken against them at the European Court of Justice. Generally speaking, however, the aims of the directive have been met, notes the Commission. The broadcasting quotas for European works produced by independent producers have been respected, except by some thematic or new channels (this aspect of the directive was the subject of a separate report in July last: see EUROPE of 21 July, 2000, p.10). Several complaints were, however, filed with the European executive concerning alleged non-compliance in certain Member States with the rules on advertising and sponsoring. Three cases of infringement were initiated against Greece, Spain and Italy and examinations in progress concerning the practices of certain broadcasters in Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal, suspected of exceeding the quantitative advertising thresholds allowed on screen.
The report briefly takes stock of questions regarding the protection of minors, coordination between the national authorities and the Commission, the audiovisual legislation in candidate states and cooperation between the EU and the Council of Europe. Finally, it presents the lists of major events that should be accessible to a substantial part of the public adopted by Denmark, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, while other Member States (Austria, Netherlands, Belgium and France) informed the Commission of their intention to adopt such a list in the near future.
Possible review of the provisions of the directive is foreseen for end 2002. In this perspective, the Commission foresees considerable public consultation this year. It will also publish the results of several studies launched recently, concerning the latest technological and economic developments in the sector, the impact of promotional and distribution measures and the production of television programmes in Europe, as well as the development of new advertising techniques in the different media. The Commission explains that digital technologies are opening the road to new advertising techniques to which the current provisions are not perhaps suited. The modification of the current provisions on advertising that targets children, as advocated by Sweden, is not, however, envisaged.