Strasbourg, 08/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - Adopting the own initiative report by British Conservative Roy Perry on the Broadcasting Directive (television without borders), with a few amendments, the European Parliament reaffirms the need to revise the directive in order to take into account the technological developments and structural changes of the audiovisual market. It also hopes that the essential principles of the current directive will be reiterated in the form of a "framework package" encompassing the broadcasting without borders directive, the directive on electronic commerce and the directive relating to the coordination of certain copyright rules applying to radio-broadcasting and re-diffusion. MEPs consider the pluralism of broadcasts is a major guarantee for social pluralism and cultural diversity. They finally call on the European Commission to control the degree to which the media is concentrated in Europe and to draft an updated Green Paper on the subject by early 2004 at the latest (for details, see EUROPE of 3 September, p.13).
Presenting his report to the plenary session, Roy Perry pointed out that the television industry currently represents a budget of EUR 62 billion annually. He calls on the EU to encourage the activity of this sector of industry and not to restrict it. The rapporteur warns against waiting too long before reviewing the television without borders directive as this could be detrimental to the sector. Furthermore, Roy Perry mainly stated that: - events of major interest, such as the World Cup for example, must have free access; - the European Commission must protect diversity with regards the concentration of media ownership; - a code of good conduct is needed so that the blind and those who are hard of hearing may follow television broadcasts, and a code of good conduct with sub-titles and simultaneous translation into sign language.
Welcoming the report by Mr Perry, Commissioner Viviane Reding announced that the Commission will be submitting to the Council and to Parliament by end 2003 or early 2004 at the latest a communication on the future of audivisual policy. Ms Reding also shared the idea expressed by Mr Perry regarding ownership concentration of the media, namely that pluralism guarantees the safeguard of democracy.
Ioannis Koukiadis (PES, GR), rapporteur for opinion of the EP legal and internal market committee, said in substance that the Commission has a heavy task before it and must say what should be done to carry out revision of this directive. In his view, it is important for the audiovisual media to bear in mind the protection of young people, cultural diversity, and the various European cultural models compared to American productions. Marielle de Sarnez, from France, called for the essential provisions of the directive not to be brought into question. These provisions concern free movement of European televised programmes, the protection of minors and public order, consumer protection through the identification and transparency of advertising, and the right of response. She went on to say that the broadcasting directive is a legal instrument that has already shown its worth, and that it should only be reviewed on a few points such as, for example, the concentration of media ownership which is detrimental to pluralism. Karin Juncker, from Germany, considered on behalf of the PES that the directive must be reviewed in order to face up to the challenges of the future. "The Commission is fainthearted", she commented before going on to say: "the concentration of powers in the audiovisual sector is gaining ground and is a threat for democratic control. Hence the importance of a safeguard". Speaking for the ELDR group, Maria Sanders Ten Holte, from the Netherlands, insisted on the need to protect the young against aggressive advertising. "My group is in favour of the freedom of choice and the viewing indicator for programmes", she added. Geneviève Fraisse (GUE/NGL, France) asked what exactly is meant by a "work" and how a "work" should be circulated. On behalf of the Greens Group, Daniel Cohn-Bendit of French nationality criticised the fact that one does not dare to define the quality of a work that one is defending. He added that the work should be defined and policy separated from the media. The directive aims to defend the notion of public interest, recalled Theresa Zabell (EPP-ED, Spain). In her view, the audiovisual industry must be able to evolve and to be a high quality industry above all as well as a control industry. Ms Zabelli finally appealed for investment to be made for children and young persons in the EU, in order to protect them from broadcasts with violent and aggressive content, as they are the EU's future.