D. CORRESPONDENCE ABOUT COMMITTEE REPORTS
61. REVISION TO THE EC BROADCASTING DIRECTIVE (9TH REPORT,
SESSION 1996-97)
Letter from the Rt Hon Chris Smith MP, Secretary of
State for Culture, Media and Sport, to Lord Tordoff, Chairman
of the Committee
I am writing to bring you up to date with developments on
the revision of the EC Broadcasting Directive, and to respond
to the Committee's 9th Report (Session 1996-97) on this matter,
which was published on 4 March, prior to the meeting of the Conciliation
Committee.
In her letter of 27 February, Virginia Bottomley welcomed
the lifting of the scrutiny reserve, and undertook to inform you
of the outcome of negotiations on the Directive. As the Council
had been unable to accept the European Parliament's amendments
in full, the inter-institutional conciliation procedure was invoked
and the Conciliation Committee met on 16 April. A joint text was
agreed and notified to the European Parliament and Council on
27 May 1997. The Directive amending the 1989 Directive was formally
adopted by the European Parliament on 10 June 1997 and by the
Council on 19 June 1997.
As well as the joint text, I enclose herewith copies of the
new Directive (97/36/EC), and a consolidated version of the Directive,
which although an unofficial text, enables the reader to avoid
continuous cross-referencing between the two Directives [not
printed]. I also attach an Explanatory Memorandum which sets
out these concluding stages of the codecision procedure, and notes
the Government's satisfaction with the outcome on the two principal
issues of substance which remained to be resolved at the conciliation
stage; the V-chip and sports rights [not printed]. I particularly
welcome the establishment of a system of mutual recognition on
broadcast sports rights, which provides protection across the
European Community for the UK's listed events provisions. I recall
the strength of feeling expressed in support of public access
to major events in the House of Lords during the passage of the
Broadcasting Act 1996, and believe the new Directive reflects
a similar desire across Europe.
Overall, I believe the revisions which have now been adopted
have secured all of the UK's main objectives, and in doing so
have strengthened the Directive. I think it is important to bear
in mind that the Directive is primarily a Single Market measure,
and as such, has been an important factor in allowing UK broadcasters
access to European markets, and to the development of the United
Kingdom's flourishing audiovisual sector. I welcome your Committee's
continuing recognition of the importance of these matters.
25 July 1997
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