EUROPA - Gateway to the European Union
Television is our primary source of information and entertainment. The audiovisual sector involves big commercial interests and issues of cultural diversity, public service and social responsibility. Each national government runs its own audiovisual policy, while the Union sets rules and guidelines where common interests, like open EU borders and fair competition, are concerned.
The EU has successfully regulated cross-border TV broadcasting within the European single market since 1989. Nowadays, thanks to modern technology, television broadcasts are available anywhere at any time. We can watch them on traditional receivers, or via the internet on PCs; we can follow programmes on mobile phones and other hand-held devices while on the move. The EU has updated the rules to take account of this new environment. The changes are due to take effect in late 2009.
EU rules protect children against harmful material.
In the meantime, the EU’s landmark piece of audiovisual legislation the ‘Television Without Frontiers (TWF)’ directive remains in place. The directive requires member states to coordinate their national legislation so that:
The EU supports European film-makers.
The new version, called the Audiovisual Media Services directive, adopted by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers in November 2007, keeps the basic principles of the current directive but:
The commitment by EU member countries to public broadcasting services (PBS) was reinforced by the Treaty of Amsterdam, which took effect in 1999. This confirms the importance governments attach to public broadcasting because of its role in underpinning democratic, social and cultural needs and in safeguarding plurality in the face of media concentration.
Each government can support the PBS financially, provided the funding is used to pursue the public service goal and does not impede normal commercial operations or distort competition among broadcasters.
The requirement in the TWF directive for a minimum quota of European programmes reflects concerns that American productions will otherwise take the lion’s share of the European market. Although EU countries make more films than the US, 75% of the income of European cinemas comes from American films.
As one way of protecting its own cultural diversity and promoting local productions, the EU has secured an exemption from the free-trade rules of the World Trade Organisation. Known as the ‘cultural exception’, this entitles its member countries to place limits on imports of cultural items like films.
But it does not do much good to reserve quotas for European films and programmes if there are not enough local productions to fill them. This is where the Media programme comes in. It is the second cornerstone of EU audiovisual policy. It provides financial support to expand Europe’s output of quality films and TV programmes, to increase their circulation in Europe and beyond, and to make the local industry more competitive internationally.
Media programmes started in 1990. The current one runs from 2007 until 2013 with a total budget of €755 million. Like its predecessors, it focuses on the production, distribution and promotion of films and other audiovisual works.
