Brussels, 24/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - During the first day's work of the Education, Youth and Culture Council held on Thursday 24 May, EU ministers responsible for audiovisual policy adopted a common position on the proposal for revision of the directive on audiovisual media services without borders, which is to take effect by the end of 2007. Resulting from a compromise with the European Parliament, the agreement must give greater legal security to media service providers, in equitable conditions of competition. This compromise was endorsed by the European Parliament's culture committee on 8 May this year (see EUROPE 9423). Viviane Reding, the telecommunications commissioner, stated the European Commission's resolve to amend its proposal again in order to come into line with the compromise. “Tomorrow's audiovisual landscape is taking shape”, she was pleased to state. The road is now open for a rapid agreement at second reading at the European Parliament, the latter having agreed with Council, through the intermediary of Nikolaos Sifunakis (PES, Greece), that no new amendments would be brought to the text.
During the same day, EU ministers adopted a series of conclusions on the contribution made by the cultural and creative sectors to achieve the objectives set out in the Lisbon strategy with a view to growth and employment. These conclusions embody the strong economic potential of the cultural sector. In order to identify the attributes of the cultural sector more clearly, the EU27 hope to improve the collection and processing of cultural statistics, with a view to obtaining comparable data and following through the implementation of the cultural chapter of the Community statistical programme for 2008-2012. The conclusions also stress the important role played by the SMEs in the cultural sectors. It is therefore appropriate to give them assurance of a more favourable development framework. Ján Figel', the culture commissioner, was pleased to see culture recognised as the essential element in the Lisbon strategy. This Council support will, as he put it, give “impetus” to the European Commission to enhance the economic potential of the cultural sectors. (gc)