26/03/2013 Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Strasbourg, 26.03.2013 – The Council of Europe’s Transfrontier Television Convention, a 1989 treaty in force in 34 countries which sets out basic common standards for European TV programmes to enable their free circulation across borders, needs to be modernised, according to PACE rapporteur James Clappison (United Kingdom, EDG).
Following a fact-finding visit to Brussels, during which he met EU officials and European broadcasters, Mr Clappison said that a revision of the convention would have “a positive impact” on numerous stakeholders, and that a way should be found to re-start talks on updating it.
In 2011 the Committee of Ministers, the body representing the 47 Council of Europe governments which must agree any changes to the convention, decided to discontinue work on a revision after the European Commission made clear its position that the EU should have exclusive competence to conclude international agreements on this issue. The Convention was originally negotiated in parallel with the European Community Directive on “Television without Frontiers” (now the “Audiovisual Media Services Directive”, after its revision in 2007).
The Convention is intended to apply to all programmes transmitted across frontiers from the countries where it is in force, whether by terrestrial broadcasting, cable or satellite. It reaffirms the freedom of reception and retransmission of TV programmes and the right to reply, as well as setting rules on the responsibilities of broadcasters as regards the type and quantity of advertising, sponsorship, tele-shopping and the scheduling of content not suitable for minors. It also forbids pornography or excessive violence and promotes the screening of European works.