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EU Media Ministers reach agreement on EU Television without Frontiers Directive
Brussels, May 24. After a legislative process of 18 months, the EU Ministers for Culture and the Media have, by unanimity, reached political agreement on the revision of the EU Television Without Frontiers Directive.
The text agreed by the Council has been pre-negotiated with the European Parliament, in accordance with the joint inter-institutional declaration on practical arrangements for the co-decision procedure. It is, expected that the common position formalizing the Ministers political agreement will be adopted by the European Parliament with no amendments.
The new Directive should enter into force by the end of 2007.
The new directive reduces the quantitative limits on advertising to a minimum and makes them more flexible. The daily advertising limits are to be removed and hourly advertising rules are to be simplified.
As far as product placement is concerned, Germany was unfortunately unable to fully enforce its demand for a total ban. The compromise they reached aims to protect consumers, by virtue of clear identification requirements, and to safeguard editorial independence. Product placement will be banned in programmes for children.
With regards to alcohol advertising, a new article, article 3 d, applicable to both, linear and non-linear services, has been introduced. The new article establishes that Member States shall ensure that audiovisual commercial communications (i.e. TV advertising, teleshopping, sponsorship and product placement) for alcoholic beverages “must not be aimed specifically at minors and may not encourage immoderate consumption of such beverages”.
Article 15, that regulates television advertising and teleshopping for alcoholic beverages on linear services, remains untouched.
Newly modified Commission proposal for an "Audiovisual Media Services without frontiers Directive" discussed in Council today
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/document.cfm?action=display&doc_id=312
EDUCATION, YOUTH and CULTURE Council meeting- Brussels, 24/25 May 2007 – Press Release
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/educ/94275.pdf
European Commission's Press Release