30/09/2005

A debate was held in Liverpool about the revision of the European directive "Television Without Frontiers" within the framework of the "Audiovisual Conference: Between Culture and commerce", organised by the European Commission in collaboration with the British Presidency of the European Union. After the consultation period, open to Member States, regulators and professional (closed on the 5th of September), the European Commissioner responsible for the Directorate General of Information Society, Viviane Reding, presented her conclusions and proposals, which seem to offer a path towards a wider liberalisation.

Commercials and their daily limitations was a source of controversy. According to Reding's speech "the sector's growing sense of responsibility may (…) open up the deregulation in the advertising domain. One of the possibilities would be the softening of rules relating to the insertion and daily limitations of commercials". Those limitations are currently 12 minutes per hour for the private channels and 8 minutes per hour for the public channels. Those who are particularly critical about this proposal fear a forced march towards the complete suppression of that limitation, a fear that becomes stronger thanks to a potential authorisation of larger breaks during shows and films.

Second controversial point: the growing presence of telecom operators, who, according to Pascal Rogard (blog SACD) "did share their liberal belief son the subject". For SACD, as well as for other signatories of a declaration presented in Liverpool, the new operators intervening in the audiovisual sector (telecoms and Internet portals) should contribute to the industry financing. "This measure affecting the providers of non-linear audiovisual material could be gradually put in place so as not to stifle the development of a growing new market. ". The declaration was signed by CEPI (European Coordination of Independent Producers), le CICCE (Film Industries Comite), CPE (Club of European Producers), Euro-MEI (European Media and Entertainment Workers), Eurocinéma (Association of film and television producers), EuroFIA (European Group of the International Federation of actors), FERA (European Federation of Directors), FIAD (International Federation of Film Distributors Associations and FSE (Federation of scriptwriters of Europe)

The negotiations with the Conseil and the European Parliament, aimed at the adoption of the new version of the directive Television Without Frontiers, is due to start in the first semester of 2006, and might come into practise in 2008.