COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 22 July 1993

on the development of technology and standards in the field of advanced television services

(93/C 209/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,

Whereas the Community, through Decision 89/337/EEC (1), Decision 89/630/EEC (2) and Directive 92/38/EEC (3), recognized the strategic importance of high-definition television (HDTV) for the European consumer electronics industry and for the European television and film industries and established the strategy framework for the introduction of European HDTV;

Whereas the Council, through this resolution, has agreed upon the framework for an action plan for the introduction of advanced television services in Europe having the objective of accelerating the development of the market for advanced television services in the widescreen 16:9 format;

Whereas it is necessary to bring forward the review of Directive 92/38/EEC to ensure its coherence with current market and technological realities;

Whereas digital technology will be important for future television systems;

Whereas it is important that Europe have a coherent global approach to the development of technology and standards for new digital television systems;

Having reached agreement on the framework for an action plan as contained in the Annex hereto,

CONSIDERS THAT:

1. An action plan for the introduction of advanced television services in Europe should be accompanied by additional measures to ensure the coherence of Community policy for advanced television.

2. One of these measures is a revision of Directive 92/38/EEC on standards for television broadcasting as provided for in the text, in order to adapt it to the current market and technological realities.

3. Digital technology is essential for future television systems. It is important that the Community develop a coherent global approach to the development of technology and standards for new digital television systems,

INVITES THE COMMISSION:

1. To propose to the Council, before 1 October 1993, a revision of Directive 92/38/EEC reflecting the need for a flexible and workable regulatory framework which responds to the needs of the market and to technological developments. In this respect, the proposals could take account of the following issues, inter alia:

(i) the possible need to expand the scope to allow other standards, in addition to D2-MAC, to be used for the broadcast of not completely digital 625 line television services in the 16:9 format;

(ii) the possible need to expand the scope to cover standards for terrestrial transmission and cable distribution;

(iii) the possible need to limit the number of different standards as far as possible;

(iv) the possible need for a European non-proprietary encryption/conditional access system serving a number of competing service providers;

(v) the possible requirement that all new television transmission and encryption systems to be used in the Community should be standardized by the competent European standardization bodies;

(vi) the possible need to change other Articles of the Directive to ensure consistency following any changes introduced under the above provisions.

2. To bring forward to the Council before 1 October 1993 a communication and possible proposal on digital television containing the following elements, inter alia:

(i) mechanisms for achieving early agreement on a common Community perspective on the development and needs of the market for digital television systems which can inform and guide the standardization of such systems, including the feasibility of a single (family of) digital television standard(s) and matching encryption system(s);

(ii) a timetable for the development, system specification, system implementation, evaluation and subsequent standardization;

(iii) Community funding of the above activities, if required.

HEREBY ADOPTS the Framework Agreement for an action plan for the introduction of advanced television services in Europe set out in the Annex;

INSTRUCTS the Permanent Representatives Committee to ensure that the detailed text of the action plan takes account of the principles contained in the Framework Agreement;

AGREES, that the text of the action plan will be adopted by the Council before the end of July 1993.

(1) OJ No L 142, 25. 5. 1989, p. 1.

(2) OJ No L 363, 13. 12. 1989, p. 30.

(3) OJ No L 137, 20. 5. 1992, p. 17.

ANNEX

Framework Agreement for an action plan for the introduction of advanced television services in Europe

1. The plan is directed solely at promoting the 16:9 format (625 or 1 250 lines), irrespective of the European television standard used, and irrespective of the broadcasting mode (terrestrial, satellite or cable).

2. The Community funds shall cover only part of the difference in costs between production/broadcasting in the customary 4:3 format and in the 16:9 format; the Community funds shall generally cover up to only 50 % of the extra costs. The remaining 50 % is to be provided from other sources. The Council attaches great importance to the involvement of the economic operators in the financing and agrees that the funding provided by them shall be at least 50 % of the non-Community funding.

Such economic operators shall be afforded due recognition under Community R& D and standardization activities, always in accordance with the general rules for participation in these actions.

3. The support is allocated on a yearly 'first-come-first-served` basis with preference for projects where the matching funds stem from the economic operators.

4. 30 % of the Community funding will be reserved for markets not being fully serviced in the early stages of the implementation of the action plan. These funds could cover up to 80 % of the extra costs, while the remaining 20 % is to be provided from other sources.

5. The action plan should be as simple as possible and based on transparent, fair and unbureaucratic mechanisms.

6. The funds shall be allocated to broadcasters or producers based in the Community on the basis of hours produced and transmitted in the 16:9 format, with a maximum support of × ECU per hour. The support will depend on the actual costs of the type of programme and its technical quality, with special emphasis on programmes produced in Europe. New productions will thus receive the highest level of support. Only broadcasters transmitting more than 50 hours of 16:9 services per year will receive funding.

7. Community funding is fixed at ECU 160 million. The funding will be given only provided applicants have demonstrated that other sources have already committed themselves to providing the remaining 50 %. In addition to the ECU 160 million, ECU 68 million are held in reserve until 1 January 1995 for markets not being serviced in the early stages of the implementation of the action plan. The ECU 68 million will have to be matched by ECU 17 million from other sources.

8. The action plan shall cover a period of four years expiring at the end of June 1997.

9. Emphasis will be given to creating a considerable spread in the markets serviced by the action plan, with due recognition of the need to achieve the critical mass and facilitating the uptake of all technologies, including fully digital technology.

Rate of interest applied by the European Monetary Cooperation Fund for its operations in ecus: 7,50 % for August 1993 Ecu (1)

(93/C 209/02)

Currency amount for one unit:

2. 8. 1993 July (2)

2. 8. 1993 July (2)

Belgian and

Luxembourg franc 40,7481 40,2940

Danish krone 7,81737 7,55659

German mark 1,92666 1,95094

Greek drachma 268,675 266,971

Spanish peseta 160,343 153,043

French franc 6,72994 6,64476

Irish pound 0,803632 0,806562

Italian lira 1799,13 1801,86

Dutch guilder 2,16841 2,19395

Portuguese escudo 199,522 190,384

Pound sterling 0,751033 0,760394

United States dollar 1,11303 1,13847

Canadian dollar 1,42947 1,45980

Japanese yen 116,924 122,498

Swiss franc 1,68902 1,72410

Norwegian krone 8,31657 8,31236

Swedish krona 9,06508 9,06188

Finnish markka 6,58135 6,57347

Austrian schilling 13,5545 13,7310

Icelandic krona 80,8951 81,7248

Australian dollar 1,61543 1,68023

New Zealand dollar 2,02002 2,07548

The Commission has installed a telex with an automatic answering device which gives the conversion rates in a number of currencies. This service is available every day from 3.30 p.m. until 1 p.m. the following day. Users of the service should do as follows:

- call telex number Brussels 23789;

- give their own telex code;

- type the code 'cccc` which puts the automatic system into operation resulting in the transmission of the conversion rates of the ecu;

- the transmission should not be interrupted until the end of the message, which is marked by the code 'ffff`.

Note: The Commission also has an automatic telex answering service (No 21791) and an automatic fax answering service (No 296 10 97) providing daily data concerning calculation of the conversion rates applicable for the purposes of the common agricultural policy.

(1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 3180/78 of 18 December 1978 (OJ No L 379, 30. 12. 1978, p. 1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1971/89 (OJ No L 189, 4. 7. 1989, p. 1).

Council Decision 80/1184/EEC of 18 December 1980 (Convention of Lomé) (OJ No L 349, 23. 12. 1980, p. 34).

Commission Decision No 3334/80/ECSC of 19 December 1980 (OJ No L 349, 23. 12. 1980, p. 27).

Financial Regulation of 16 December 1980 concerning the general budget of the European Communities (OJ No L 345, 20. 12. 1980, p. 23).

Council Regulation (EEC) No 3308/80 of 16 December 1980 (OJ No L 345, 20. 12. 1980, p. 1).

Decision of the Council of Governors of the European Investment Bank of 13 May 1981 (OJ No L 311, 30. 10. 1981, p. 1).

(2) The monthly average of ecu exchange rates will be published at the end of each month.