Audiovisual

The glossary is being updated given the recent signing of the Treaty of Lisbon.

The Community's audiovisual policy must respect various — sometimes contradictory — interests and priorities, such as competition rules (especially regarding State aid), the principles of public service or the enhancement of European culture. The European audiovisual market is also facing a number of problems, including:

• the language barriers preventing free movement of programmes in Europe;
• an unwieldy decision-making process which generally requires unanimity;
• the need to make considerable investment to anticipate technological developments, which requires international alliances and/or mergers.

The Community's action in the audiovisual field has developed in two broad directions:

• on the legal front, the Television without Frontiers (TWF) Directive, adopted in 1989 and amended in 1997, provided a harmonised framework to promote the free movement, production and distribution of European television programmes. Common rules on advertising, sponsorship, protection of minors and the right of reply were introduced. The Directive also introduced broadcasting quotas, thus requiring TV channels to reserve, whenever possible, more than half their transmission time for European works.

The Directive is currently being revised with a view to updating the existing rules and making them more flexible.

• support schemes through the Community MEDIA programme (Measures to Encourage the Development of the Audiovisual Industry). Set up in 1991, this programme aims to support the European audiovisual industry by encouraging the development and distribution of European works. It also finances schemes to improve the training of professionals in the sector.

The programme currently in place is MEDIA 2007, which has been allocated a budget of almost EUR 755 million and is to cover the period 2007–2013.

The protection of minors and human dignity in audiovisual and information services constitutes another priority. In December 2006, the Council and the European Parliament thus adopted a recommendation aiming to encourage government authorities and stakeholders to intensify their actions in this field.

See:

• Competition
• Public service
• Television without frontiers