At the same time, we do not accept that 'adapting our policies' should entail uncritically facilitating this process. Technical convergence need not invariably lead to convergence in content or services, nor to the development of common regulatory structures governing these. These democratic, social and cultural criteria should remain as central policy considerations within the new digitally convergent era. Many of the products of the cultural industries are 'merit goods' which a free market would not naturally provide. A single converged marketplace could therefore destroy as much as it would create.
Strong regulation continues to be necessary.
We think not. The management consultants KPMG have advised Commissioner Bangemann, in the context of 'telecommunications and audiovisual convergence', of the need to 'support market-led developments' and to develop a strategy 'based primarily on competition law' which should 'minimise regulatory intervention'. We strongly disagree and would hope the Council of Europe would take account of the divergence of opinion on this issue. We can support much of this, including the need to move away from centralised, hierarchical management towards a decentralised and less bureaucratic approach. As a trade union in the cultural industries we are, of course, already very familiar with other aspects of 'flexibility' at work.