IP/06/374

Brussels, 24 March 2006

European Broadcasting Regulators strengthen their cross-border cooperation under the Television without Frontiers Directive

The European Commission’s proposed modernisation of the “TV without Frontiers” Directive can improve the means to safeguard European TV viewers against programmes inciting hatred, subject to scrupulous respect for media freedom and for free speech. This has been discussed by Europe’s broadcasting regulators at a meeting in Brussels today. Regulators from the 25 EU Member States and Croatia, Turkey, Norway and Liechtenstein, chaired by Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding, noted the growing economic and societal importance of new on-demand audiovisual media services and of ensuring freedom of expression in such media, but also discussed the danger that they could become the next vehicle of hate. The regulators also addressed technological challenges for the audiovisual sector – such as digital and Mobile TV – and implementation issues under the TV without Frontiers Directive.

“Cooperation between broadcasting regulators and the European Commission is extremely important for the future of the audiovisual landscape in Europe” said Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. “The basis of our cooperation must be – first of all and most important – freedom of expression and freedom of the media, as cornerstones of our pluralist democratic society in Europe; cultural diversity; and the commitment to our common European societal values, which leads us to jointly fight against clear forms of incitement to racial or religious hatred in the media.”

Today’s meeting of European Broadcasting Regulators is a follow-up to their first meeting in Brussels on 17 March 2005. In the course of 2005, the close cooperation between European Broadcasting Regulators ensured that no European satellite system further carries clear hate broadcasts like those of Al Manar. Today, the regulators supported the Commission’s proposal to launch a new EU Intranet Cooperation Forum as an effective means to implement their commitment to combat clear cases of incitement to hatred in broadcast and audiovisual media services whilst scrupulously respecting the Fundamental freedoms enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the need for judicial scrutiny of such interventions by broadcast regulators. European Broadcasting Regulators also discussed the modernisation of the TV without Frontiers Directive (see IP/05/1573) and the amendments, proposed by the European Commission, to step up the fight against incitement to hatred. Once approved, this legislative proposal will prohibit incitement to racial or religious hatred not only for broadcasts but for all audiovisual media services, irrespective of the technology used to deliver and view them.

The regulators agreed to deepen the discussion with respect to the issues of mobile TV and digital TV, insofar as these questions fall within their competence (see SPEECH/06/157). The Commissioner recalled the importance of new technical developments and called for new European approaches. For example, as there is a risk that divergences among national licensing systems for mobile broadcasting could throw up unintended obstacles to the deployment of pan-European services and infrastructure. The regulators underlined that licensing decisions remain a national prerogative, but indicated their readiness to discuss the mobile broadcasting licence issue with the Commission. Besides licensing procedures, the lack of a common spectrum allocation could become an obstacle to cross-border mobile services.

See also MEMO/05/98

Meeting of European Broadcasting Regulators
– List of participants –

Austria
Michael Ogris
Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH

Belgium
Jo Baert
Flemish Media Regulator – Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media

Evelyne Lentzen
Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel de la Communauté française de Belgique

Jean-François Furnemont
Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel de la Communauté française de Belgique

Cyprus
Nicos Papaioannou
President of Cyprus Radio TV Authority

Neophytos Epaminondas
Director

Czech Republic
Petr Kolar
Council for Radio and TV Broadcasting
Prague

Denmark
Erik Nordahl Svendsen
Radio and TV Board – Mediesekretariatet
Kopenhagen

Spain
José Bartolomé Pina
Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade

Josep CARBONELL
Audiovisual Council of Catalonia – CAC

Estonia
Peeter Sookruus
Ministry of Culture

Finland
Jorma Koivunmaa
Finish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA)

France
Elisabeth Flury-Herard
Conseil Supérieur Audiovisuel

Germany
Reinhold Albert
Direktorenkonferenz der Landesmedienanstalten

Gernot Schumann
Direktor der Unabhängigen Landesanstalt für
Rundfunk und neue Medien (ULR)

Greece
Evaggelia Demiri
National Council for Radio and TV

Hungary
György Kovacs
National Radio and TV Commission – ORTT

György Ocsko
National Radio and TV Commission – ORTT

Ireland
Michael O’Keeffe
Broadcasting Commission of Ireland

Italy
Corrado Calabro
Autoritá per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni

Roberto Viola
Secretary General AGCOM

Latvia
M. Andris Mellakauls
National Broadcasting Council

Liechtenstein
Kurt Bühler
Amt für Kommunikation

Lithuania
Nerijus Maliukevicius
Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania

Luxembourg
Walter De Toffol
Conseil National des Programmes

Carole Kickert
Conseil National des Programmes

Malta
Joseph Scicluna
Malta Broadcasting Authority

Netherlands
Prof. J. van Cuilenburg
Commissariaat voor de Media

Poland
Wojciech Dziomdziora,
National Broadcasting Council.

Portugal
Prof. Doutor José Alberto de Azeredo Lopes
Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social

Slovenia
Mihael Kriselj
Post and Electronic Communication Agency of Republic of Slovenia

Tanja Kersevan-Smokvina
Post and Electronic Communication Agency of Republic of Slovenia

Slovak Republik
Milos Mistrik
Council for Broadcasting and Retransmission of the Slovak Republic

Sweden
Björn Rosén
Director General
Swedish Radio- and TV Authority

Cecilia Renfors
Swedish Broadcasting Commission

UK
Tim Suter
OFCOM

Croatia
Denis Peicic
Council for Electronic Media

Turkey
Dr. A. Vahap Darendeli
Radio and TV Supreme Council – RTUK

Nuran Yardimci
Radio and TV Supreme Council

Norway
Gudbrand Guthus
Norwegian Media Authority

European Platform of Regulatory Authorities - EPRA
Mr. Joan Botella