Protection of and access to the audiovisual cultural heritage

Reply to Recommendation | Doc. 13066 | 19 December 2012

Author(s):

Committee of Ministers

Origin

Adopted at the 1158th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (12 December 2012). 2013 - First part-session

Reply to Recommendation

: Recommendation 2001 (2012)

Thesaurus

1. The Committee of Ministers has taken note of Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 2001 (2012) on “Protection of and access to the audiovisual cultural heritage”. It has brought it to the attention of the governments of member States and transmitted it to the Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscape (CDCPP) and the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) for information and possible comments.

2. It recognises the importance of protecting the audiovisual cultural heritage, which forms an integral part of Europe’s cultural heritage and, as far as possible, its public accessibility, in particular for educational and research purposes. It is aware that the new forms of digital media provide the necessary technological means, but that there are financial and legal constraints in respect of their implementation which need to be overcome.

3. The Committee of Ministers welcomes the interest of the Assembly in the European Convention for the Protection of the Audiovisual Heritage and the Additional Protocol thereto, and takes note of its proposal that a second protocol be drafted. However, it believes that wider ratification by member States of the existing instruments should be sought before the drafting of a second protocol can be considered. It encourages States which have not yet done so to envisage the possibility of signing or ratifying these instruments.

4. The Committee of Ministers gives particular attention to access by people with disabilities to the audiovisual heritage. It would draw attention to the objectives of the 2006-2015 Council of Europe Action Plan for people with disabilities, [(1) Recommendation Rec(2006)5.] which seek to promote the rights and full participation of people with disabilities in society and improve their quality of life. Among other things, these objectives and actions relate to participation in cultural life and access by people with disabilities to information and communication. From 2013, the Committee of Experts on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CS‑RPD), under the authority of the European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS), will look more closely at the issue of the participation of people with disabilities in cultural life. Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 2001 (2012) will provide a useful element for reflection here.

5. Lastly, the Committee of Ministers welcomes the co-operation between the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Council of Europe, one of the focuses of which could involve the audio-visual heritage and, in particular, the protection and accessibility of audio-visual material held by public service broadcasters in Europe.