92002E0116

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0116/02

by Concepció Ferrer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 January 2002)

Subject: Catalan television in France

Under Directive 89/552/EEC(1) on television without frontiers, it is legal for a television channel from one Member State to broadcast to another Member State.

TV3-Televisió de Catalunya broadcasts to southern France and enables Catalan speakers in that area to watch television programmes in Catalan. In so doing it promotes knowledge of one of the languages which constitute the EU's cultural heritage.

What action is the Commission planning to take in response to the French Higher Audiovisual Council's decision to ban TV3-Televisió de Catalunya from the airwaves on the grounds that it considers its broadcasts to France to be illegal?

(1) OJ L 298, 17.10.1989, p. 23.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(22 March 2002)

The Television without frontiers Directive (Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by Law, Regulation or Administrative Action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities, as amended by Directive 97/36/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 1997(1)) provides that Member States shall ensure freedom of reception on their territory of television broadcasts from other Member States (Article 2a (1)).

The Directive is based on one of the four fundamental freedoms laid down in the EC Treaty (the freedom to provide services Article 49) and is in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights, notably Article 22, to which the Honourable Member refers.

In respect of the issue raised, the Commission is unaware of the events referred to in the Honourable Member's question. It will request information from the French authorities to carry out the necessary evaluation.

(1) OJ L 202, 30.7.1997.