More than 63 per cent of Europe's television broadcasters' programming time is devoted to European works and over 36 per cent to works by independent European producers. Malta stands at almost 79 per cent, significantly above the EU average.
These new figures come from the European Commission's eighth report on effectiveness of EU rules on the promotion of European works, which covers the 2005-2006 period.
This report which is published every two years is based on information provided by the EU Member states and monitors the promotion of European works on European TV screens under the "Television without Frontiers"Directive. For the first time, broadcasters in the new EU-10 member states are fully analysed in this report, and the report shows that they show today as much European content as those in the EU-15.
The Commission said these figures show the impact of Articles 4 and 5 of the "Television without Frontiers" Directive, which aim at promoting the broadcasting of European works, including those created by producers who are independent from the broadcasters. The European Commission proposed these measures in 1989 to bring the benefits of the single market to television viewers (in the form of greater choice) and to broadcasters and producers (a bigger audience for European programmes).
The new report on the implementation of these provisions in the 25 EU Member states, adopted by the Commission, shows that the EU-wide average broadcasting time for European works has increased from 63.52 per cent in 2005 to 65.05 per cent in 2006. The Commission report also shows that in the medium term (2003-2006), the broadcasting of European works has stabilised at above 63 per cent. Average transmission times varied between 47.31 per cent in Slovenia and 81.14 per cent in Denmark in 2005 and between 45.44 per cent in Sweden and 81.07 per cent in Poland in 2006. These shares were comparable with those recorded for the previous reporting period 2003-2004. Malta's figures are 76.99 per cent in 2005 and 78.53 per cent in 2006, significantly above the EU average.
The average share of independent producers' works broadcast by all European channels in all Member states rose from 36.44 per cent in 2005 to 37.59 per cent in 2006. This is well above the 10 per cent set by the "Television without Frontiers" Directive. This also means that in the medium term (2003-2006), the EU-wide broadcasting of European works by independent producers improved by 6.2 percentage points.
For recent European works by independent producers, that is to say works broadcast within five years of their production, transmission time in 2005-2006 was constantly above 25 per cent. This confirms the positive trend in the scheduling of recent works, which increased by 2.59 percentage points over 2003-2006.
The new Directive on Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) entered into force on December 19 last year asks Member states to ensure that providers of on-demand audiovisual media services, promote, where practicable and by appropriate means, the production of and access to European works. This recognises the importance of promoting European works and cultural diversity via new media services, like video-on-demand.
This can be done by various means, including through investments in the production and acquisition of rights to European works or by ensuring an adequate share or prominence of such works in video-on-demand catalogues.
EU member states have until December 19, next year to incorporate the new provisions of the AVMS Directive into their national laws.
These new figures come from the European Commission's eighth report on effectiveness of EU rules on the promotion of European works, which covers the 2005-2006 period.
This report which is published every two years is based on information provided by the EU Member states and monitors the promotion of European works on European TV screens under the "Television without Frontiers"Directive. For the first time, broadcasters in the new EU-10 member states are fully analysed in this report, and the report shows that they show today as much European content as those in the EU-15.
The Commission said these figures show the impact of Articles 4 and 5 of the "Television without Frontiers" Directive, which aim at promoting the broadcasting of European works, including those created by producers who are independent from the broadcasters. The European Commission proposed these measures in 1989 to bring the benefits of the single market to television viewers (in the form of greater choice) and to broadcasters and producers (a bigger audience for European programmes).
The new report on the implementation of these provisions in the 25 EU Member states, adopted by the Commission, shows that the EU-wide average broadcasting time for European works has increased from 63.52 per cent in 2005 to 65.05 per cent in 2006. The Commission report also shows that in the medium term (2003-2006), the broadcasting of European works has stabilised at above 63 per cent. Average transmission times varied between 47.31 per cent in Slovenia and 81.14 per cent in Denmark in 2005 and between 45.44 per cent in Sweden and 81.07 per cent in Poland in 2006. These shares were comparable with those recorded for the previous reporting period 2003-2004. Malta's figures are 76.99 per cent in 2005 and 78.53 per cent in 2006, significantly above the EU average.
The average share of independent producers' works broadcast by all European channels in all Member states rose from 36.44 per cent in 2005 to 37.59 per cent in 2006. This is well above the 10 per cent set by the "Television without Frontiers" Directive. This also means that in the medium term (2003-2006), the EU-wide broadcasting of European works by independent producers improved by 6.2 percentage points.
For recent European works by independent producers, that is to say works broadcast within five years of their production, transmission time in 2005-2006 was constantly above 25 per cent. This confirms the positive trend in the scheduling of recent works, which increased by 2.59 percentage points over 2003-2006.
The new Directive on Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) entered into force on December 19 last year asks Member states to ensure that providers of on-demand audiovisual media services, promote, where practicable and by appropriate means, the production of and access to European works. This recognises the importance of promoting European works and cultural diversity via new media services, like video-on-demand.
This can be done by various means, including through investments in the production and acquisition of rights to European works or by ensuring an adequate share or prominence of such works in video-on-demand catalogues.
EU member states have until December 19, next year to incorporate the new provisions of the AVMS Directive into their national laws.