Brussels, 29/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - Adopting its report last Friday on the application of Council Directive 93/83/EEC on the coordination of various copyright rules and similar rules applying to satellite and cable broadcasting, the European Commission noted that a large number of European citizens would like satellite access to TV programmes from outside the Member States where they live, but cannot do so. The Commission notes that satellite broadcasting outside the country of origin does not pose any technical problems but access problems are often connected with problems assuring cross-border protection of copyright for the programme makers.
The report marks the launch of reflection on how to improve the circulation of broadcasting services in the EU at a time when information society services are starting to occupy a greater place in citizens' lives. The process will continue in the autumn with working meetings with the different stakeholders and the representatives of national authorities to facilitate rigorous, constructive and necessary dialogue to reach a clear target whose realisation is presenting undeniable problems. The Commission adds that the changes to TV services coming in with the information society have led it to consider the need to adapt current mechanisms involved in protecting copyright and similar rights (dispute settlement and the role of collective copyright management companies), concluding that it is in the general contact of changes in the media in the information society that the management system for cable rebroadcasting rights and mediation will be considered, before deciding whether or not to revise Directive 93/83/EEC.
In terms of continued problems with satellite broadcasting of a number of programmes, the Commission notes that insofar as the protection of intellectual property rights concerning these programmes has not been assured, and therefore the use of the programmes is not authorised outside the Member State where the broadcasting is established, the broadcasting of the programmes is restricted to the Member State in question. In terms of cable broadcasting, the Commission notes that proposals have been made for improving the dispute settlement scheme and reports on the interest in the internal market of setting up a "one-stop shop" for the transfer of copyright.
Commenting on the report, the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Frits Bolkestein, said it was important to give all Europeans who desire it the option of keeping in cultural contact with their country of origin and opening up to other European cultures and languages by watching TV programmes from other Member States.
Directive 93/83/EEC aims to provide greater legal security, in the form of contracts, for two types of broadcasting that can be used for cross-border broadcasting, namely satellite and cable broadcasting. The deadline for transposing the measures into national legislation was 1 January 1995, hence it has been possible to analyse a number of years of operation of the Directive through a study by the Commission in 2000 and contact in 2001 with stakeholder representative who helped draft the report, available from: http: //http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/media/cabsat/index.htm