91998E3565

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3565/98

by Nikitas Kaklamanis (UPE) to the Commission

(1 December 1998)

Subject: Biased Euronews programme

Euronews is a television network run with European citizens' money. Despite that, it frequently presents views which upset the national and religious sensibilities of those citizens by distorting the views of their political or religious leaders.

A recent case in point was a programme on Islam broadcast at 8 p.m. on Sunday, 8 November 1998. This programme presented the Head of the Greek Orthodox Church, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Christodoulos, as an inveterate "nationalist" who inflames the passions of his fellow countrymen.

Given that the Commission oversees Euronews operations, what action will it take to protect the reputation of the Head of the Greek Orthodox Church, which represents millions of Orthodox citizens in Greece (a Member State of the EU), who contribute to the running of Euronews and whose religious leader is pilloried in this manner?

Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission

(5 February 1999)

As this concerns the nature of relations between the Community and the Euronews television channel, the Commission refers to its answer to Written Question E-1985/98 asked by the Honourable Member(1).

This channel is independent. It belongs to a consortium of more than 18 public television networks from Europe and the Mediterranean basin associated with the audiovisual news company ITN. The European Union has no capital stake in it.

In 1998, in agreement with the budgetary authority, the Commission negotiated a memorandum of understanding with this channel for a period three years. This agreement provides for the co-production and broadcasting of specific information programmes, intended for the general public, on various aspects of European current affairs. An annual agreement draws up the precise list of scheduled actions and their funding conditions. Apart from these co-productions the Commission does not accept any individual responsibility for this channel, regarding either its editorial policy or its management.

The subject raised by the Honourable Member has not been dealt with in co-productions which are covered by the contract with Euronews. Therefore, the Commission, which has no editorial power over an independent television channel, considers that it has no right to intervene with the channel to influence the way it presents information.

(1) OJ C 96, 8.4.1999, p. 22.