16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/39
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDecisiononanActionPlanfortheintroductionof
advancedtelevisionservicesinEurope(*)
(92/C332/14)
On20May1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon30September1992.The
RapporteurwasDameJocelynBarrow.
Atits300thPlenarySession(meetingof22October1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionby100votesto29,with11abstentions .
1.Introduction 2.Generalcomments
TheCommitteeendorsestheActionPlansubjecttothe
followingcomments :2.1.TheActionPlanmustbeadoptedasamatter
orurgency,tosecureimmediatereleaseoftheECU33
millionearmarkedfor1992.
2.2.TheCommission hassubmittedaframework
extendingfrom1992to1996,basedontheprincipleof
doubledegressivityintheallocationofHDTVfunding:
—thoseprojectsstartingearliestwillreceivethe
greatestlevelsoffunding;
—thefundingallocatedtoprojectswillbeprogress­
ivelyreducedeachyear.1.1.On11May1992,theCounciladoptedaDirec­
tiveontheadoptionofstandardsforsatellitebroadcast­
ingoftelevisionsignals.
1.2.TheCommunityintends,withthisdecision,to
profitfromEurope'stechnologicaledgeinhigh-defi­
nitiontelevision (HDTV)inordertosecureitsecon­
omicandculturalindependenceandimproveitsinter­
nationalcompetitiveness .
1.3.TheActionPlanproposalreferredtotheCom­
mitteeismadeinthecontextoftheimplementation of
theDirective,specifyingtheaccompanying measures
requiredinviewoftheinterdependent natureofthe
factorscontributingtothedevelopmentofHDTV.
1.4.TheActionPlanreflectsashiftofemphasisin
thetechnologicalapproachtowardstheintroductionof
wide-screentelevisionservicesinthe16:9format.This
isnotonlyanecessary,butalsoapositivedevelopment .
Theconceptof'service'offerstheadvantageofapplying
asingletermtoallthenecessarystagesintheachieve­
mentofHDTV,fromprogrammeproductiontorecep­
tion,takingaccountofthemultipletechnological ,econ­
omicandculturalfactorsinvolved.
1.5.HDTVcanonlybesuccessfullylaunchedifall
thosecontributingtoit—politicalandregulatory
authorities,companies,producers,broadcastersand
viewers—worktogethertothatend.2.3.Itwouldalsobedesirable,soasnottopenalize
thosecountriesunabletocommitthemselvestoHDTV
attheoutset(Spain,GreeceandIreland),tosetupan
assistancemechanismforoperatorsinlinguisticallyand
geographically smallercountriesandtograntdero­
gationstotheprincipleofdoubledegressivityestab­
lishedbytheActionPlan.
2.4.Paragraph5oftheActionPlanproposalpro­
videsfortheadoptionofafundingmethodforprojects
basedona'fullservice'.Projectsmustcovertheentire
chainfromsatellitetransmissiontoreception.
2.5.Fundingonlyprojectsofferingafullservicefav­
oursthelargeroperatorsattheexpenseofindependent
operators.TheCommission'sattentionisdirectedto
theneedtosupportthislattercategoryofoperatorsin
particular.
2.6.Inanycase,itwouldbeadvisabletore-adjust
thelevelsofCommunityfundingtotheproduction
sector.TheCommissiongivesthefollowingindicative (1)OJNoC139,2.6.1992,p.4.

NoC332/40 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
percentagebreakdown :65%forbroadcasters ,25%for
producers,10%forcableoperators.ofEuropeanHDTVshouldbekeptinsight.The27
Eurekabroadcasting membercountriesaccordingly
expressedtheview,in12JuneinHelsinki,thatthe
productionpartoftheActionPlanshouldbestepped
up.A35%fundinglevelwouldmakeitpossibleto
giveasignificantboosttoprogrammeproductionwith
broadcasting'ssharefallingto55%andcabledistri­
bution'sremainingunchangedat10%.3.Specificcomments
Inviewofinternationalcompetition ,thecloselinks
betweenprogrammeproductionandtheintroduction
DoneatBrussels,22October1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
APPENDIX I
totheOpinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
Thefollowingamendments,whichreceivedatleastaquarterofthevotescastorconstitutedaCounter­
Opinion,wererejectedinthecourseofthedebate:
Counter-Opinion
ReplacethetextoftheOpinionoftheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServicesbythefollowing:
'1.Introduction
1.1.On20May1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommitteeonaProposal
foraCouncilDecisiononanActionPlanfortheintroductionofadvancedtelevisionservicesinEurope
(COM(92)154final)('theActionPlanproposal')(1).
1.2.TheActionPlanProposalismadeinthecontextoftheCouncilDirective92/38/EECof11May1992
ontheadoptionofstandardsforsatellitebroadcastingoftelevisionsignals('theHDTVDirective')(2).The
ExplanatoryMemorandum totheActionPlanreferstotheCouncilofTelecommunications 'Ministers
MeetingwhichgaveconsenttothecommonpositionintheDirectivewithintheCouncilandwhich:
'expresseditsconvictionthatonlyaglobalstrategyincludingaccompanyingmeasurestogetherwithappropri­
atefinancialmeans,willassurethesuccessofEuropeanadvancedtelevision'.
1.3.TheCouncilnotedtheCommission'sintentiontosubmittoitandtotheEuropeanParliament :
'asetofmeasures,financialorotherwise,onthebasisofanappropriateArticleoftheTreatyinorderto
obtaintheobjectivesannouncedinArticles2and8ofthe(HDTV)Directive'.
1.4.TheCommitteecontinuestosupporttheCommission'soverallpolicywithregardtothedevelopment
ofHDTVservicesinEuropesubjecttoagreementwiththemajoreconomicactorsovercertainfundamental
pointsreferredtobelow.
(!)OJNoC139,2.6.1992,p.1.
(2)OJNoL137,20.5.1992,p.17.

16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/41
2.TheActionPlanProposal
2.1.TheActionPlanProposalaims:
'toensuretheaccelerateddevelopmentofthemarketforadvancedtelevisionservicesbysatelliteandcable
basedontheD2-MACstandard,particularlyinits16:9format,andtheHD-MACstandard,isadoptedfor
aperiodcommencingonthedateofadoptionofthisdecisionandconcludingon31December1996.'
2.2.Toachievethis,theActionPlantargetsincreasesinsatelliteservices,cableTVnetworksand
programmingusingtheabovestandards.CommunityFundswillbedevotedtowardsachievingthesetargets
bymeansof'incentives'coveringpartsoftheadditionalcostsincurredbybroadcasters,programmemakers
andcableTVnetworkoperatorsintheprovisionoftheseadvancedtelevisionservices.
2.3.Theimplementation oftheActionPlanwillbeundertakenbytheCommissionandinthisconnection
Article2statesthat:
'theCommissionwillestablishclosecollaborationwiththemechanismsresultingfromtheimplementation
ofArticle8oftheHDTVDirective'.
2.4.InthisregardtheCommissionhasagreedtotakeintoaccounttheconcernsofthemajoreconomic
actors.InthetextoftheMemorandum ofUnderstanding ('theMOU')theCommissionhassaidthatitwill
attachgreatimportanceinitsimplementation measuresandconcisefundingcriteriatotheagreementofthe
signatoriesoftheMOU.
2.5.TheCommissionneedstoestablishaframeworkbusinesscasetojustifytheexpenditureofpublic
funds,whichwouldnecessarilytakeintoaccountotherfundingcriteria.
2.6.TheActionPlanProposalshouldberevisedinordertoclarifythedurationoffundingunderthe
ActionPlanandastothephasingandmeansofassessmentofallocationoffundsundertheActionPlan.
(AttentionisalsodrawntoArticle2.2oftheHDTVDirectivewhichprovidedthatforanynotcompletely
digitaltransmissionofa625linesatellitetelevisionserviceusingdomesticsatellitereceiversinrespectofany
servicestartingafter1January1995theD2-MACstandardmaybeuseddependingontherebeingcommunity
fundingavailable.)TheActionPlanProposalshouldalsoshowthespecifictargetsinrelationtotheprovision
ofservices,programmingandotherimportantmatters.Itshouldstatethelevelofincentives,oftheidentity
ofthebeneficiariesofsuchincentivesnecessarytoachievethesespecifictargetsandexplainwhythose
incentivesarenecessary.
2.7.TheActionPlanpresentsapolicyof'doubledegressivity'.TheCommitteeisconcernedthatthiswill
putsomepossibleparticipantsinHDTVatadisadvantageparticularlythosewhowillnotbeinaposition
tostarttheirprojectsimmediatelyandgiveadoublebonustothosealreadytransmittinginD2-MACwho
mayinfactneedlesseconomicincentivethanthosewhomtheCommissionhopetopersuadetoenterthe
HDTVmarketplace.
2.8.TheCommitteeisalsoconcernedthataconflictofinterestcouldariseintheconsortiumcreatedby
theMOUandthatthereshouldthereforebeaseparationoffunctionsbetweenthosewhomakethedecisions
astotheallocationoffundsundertheActionPlanandthosetowhomfundsaretobeawarded.
3.Funding
3.1.Fundingshouldnotbeshorttermandpiecemeal.Theriskofsuchactionisthatthemarketwillbe
still-born.Thiscouldmeanthat,ratherthan850MECUbeingusedtoestablishthemarket,considerably
morefundsmayneedtobeexpendedbytheCommissiontokeepsubsidizingamarketwhichhasnotbeena
success.
3.1.1.Concernisevengreaterinregardtothepossibleexpenditurein1992of33MECUgiventhatthere
isnoindicationfromtheCommissionastowhatobjectthisistoachieveandhowitistoachieveitinthe
contextoftheHDTVDirective.
3.2.ItistobenotedthattheActionPlanProposaldoesnotaddressthesocialramificationsofthestrategy
tobeadoptedbytheCommission,suchastheeffectsonemployment ,trainingandminoritylanguage
programmeneedsandtheeffectontheconsumer.Obviouslyeachsuchareawillimposecompetingclaims
ontheallocationoftheCommissionfunding;someofwhomarenotmajoreconomicactors.

NoC332/42 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
3.2.1.Someprogrammershaveaskedfor220MECUandsomeproducershaveaskedforfundingfor
minoritylanguageprogramming :languagessuchasBasque,Catalan,CorsicanandWelshareoftenspoken
inmountainousdistrictswheresatellitetelevisionisparticularlyimportant.
4.TheActionPlananditsrelationshiptotheHDTVDirectiveandtheMOU
4.1.TheActionPlanProposalandtherelatedMOUdependfortheirlegalityoncompliancewithArticle
8oftheHDTVDirective.(HDTVDirective,Article8providesthat:'TheruleslaiddownintheDirective
shallbeaccompaniedbycommercialmeasuresbasedonthesigningbythepartiesconcernedofanMOU
coordinatingtheactionsofthevarioussignatoriesand,whereappropriate,bysimultaneousmeasuresdesigned
tosupportthecreationoftheEuropeanmarketfortheD2-MAC,16:9andHD-MACstandards.')
4.2.InthepreambletotheHDTVDirectivetheCouncilrecitestheneedtohaveanappropriateregulatory
environmentand'completeagreement'betweenbroadcasters ,satelliteoperators,manufacturers andcable
operatorsis'essential'.(TheHDTVDirectivealsorecites:'...suchagreementmightbereachedbymeansof
aMemorandum ofUnderstanding :...(which)willsetouttheobligationsoftherespectivepartiesforthe
developmentandpromotionof16:9D2-MACservicesinEuropeinaccordancewiththetermsandprovisions
of(theHDTVDirective)andwillconstituteanintegralpartoftheoverallstrategyfortheintroductionof
HDTV:...')
4.3.TherehasalsobeenachangeinemphasisintheMOUfromthetechnologicalapproachreferredto
intheActionPlan.Forexample,thecurrentdraftoftheMOUnolongerreferstothedevelopmentofHD­
MAC.ThissignificantshiftinCommissionpolicyrequirestheamendmentoftheActionPlantobeconsistent
withthecurrentCommissionposition.
4.4.Iftheactualfundingproposalsweretobescrutinizedonacase-by-casebasisintheformulationof
thebilateralagreementswithoutgeneralagreementtheproposalsnowstatedbytheCommissioncould,as
theystand,resultintheadoptionofapiecemealapproachinfunding.Thiscouldwellhaveanegativeeffect
onthemarketandtheActionPlanProposalshouldberevisedtoprovideforspecifictargetsandsubsidies
basedonabusinesscasewhichneedstobeputtogetheronthebasisofagreedcommitments byallthe
relevanteconomicactorsandinfullconsultationwiththoseentities.
5.ConcludingRemarks
ThemajoreconomicactorsmustbefullyconsultedasenvisagedbytheHDTVDirectiveinordertoagree
thetextofthefinalActionPlanandthecriteriaforitsimplementation .Withouttheagreementofthemajor
economicactorstherecanbenoagreementontheActionPlanandanyfundingunderit.'
Voting
For:31,against:106,abstentions :7.
NewPoint2.3.1
Addnewpoint2.3.1asfollows:
'ThesameappliestotheparticularprobleminthisproposalforminoritylanguagessuchasBasque,Catalan,
Corsican,SardandWelsh,manyofwhicharespokeninmountainousareasandwheresatellitereceptionis
thereforeparticularlyimportant.
Fortheseandforotherpurposes,fundingshouldalsobemadeavailableforprogramming ,particularlyon
35mmfilm.Filmhastheadvantageofbeinguseablebothon4:3and16:9transmissionsandwillthusenable
minoritylanguagestobuildupslowlyalibraryofprogrammes.'
Reasons
Televisionisaparticularlypotentmediumforpreservingandfurtheringminoritylanguages.Theirinterests
arenotadequatelycoveredbythisproposalorbytheSCALEorganizationwhichlooksaftertheinterestsof
smallcountriesandnotminoritylanguagesinbiggercountries.

16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/43
Voting
For:34,against:74,abstentions :13.
APPENDIX 2
totheOpinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
ThefollowingMembers,presentorrepresented,votedfortheOpinion:
Mr/Mrs/Miss:ABEJONRESA,AMATO,ARENA,ASPINALL,BAGLIANO ,BELTRAMI ,BENTO
GONgALVES ,BOTTAZZI ,BREDIMA-SAVOPOULOU ,BRIESCH,CASSINA,CEBALLOHERRERO ,
CEYRAC,CHEVALIER ,CHRISTIE,COLOMBO ,CUNHA,VANDAM,DECAILLON ,VONDER
DECKEN,D'ELIA,DELOROZOY ,DIAPOULIS ,VANDIJK,DONCK,DRAIJER,DRILLEAUD ,ENGE­
LEN-KEFER ,ETTY,EULEN,FLUM,FORGASICABRERA,FRERICHS,GAFFRON,GAFOFERNAND­
EZ,GERMOZZI ,GEUENICH ,GHIGONIS ,JANSSEN,JENKINS,KAZAZIS,DEKNEGT,KORFIATIS ,
LACAMARTIN,LAPPAS,LAUR,LIVERANI ,LUSTENHOUWER ,McGARRY ,MADDOCKS ,MARGA­
LEFMASIA,MASUCCI,MAYAYOBELLO,MERCEJUSTE,MERCIER,MEYER-HORN ,MOLINA
VALLEJO,MORALES ,MORIZE,MOURGUES ,MÜLLERR.,MUNIZGUARDADO ,NIERHAUS ,
NOORDWAL ,OVIDEETIENNE,PANEROFLOREZ,PARDON,PE,PELLARINI ,PELLETIER R.,
PERRIN-PELLETIER ,PRICOLO,PROUMENS ,QUEVEDOROJO,REBUFFEL,RODRIGUEZ DE
AZEROYDELHOYO,RODRIGUEZ GARCIA-CARO ,SABORGES,SALA,SALMON,SANTILLAN
CABEZA,SANTOS,SAUWENS ,SCHMIDT ,SCHMITZ ,SCHNIEDERS ,VONSCHWERIN ,SILVA,
SMITH,SOLAR1,STECHERNAVARRA ,TESOROOLIVER,THEONAS ,THYS,TIXIER,TUKKER,
WAGENMANS ,WICK,ZUFIAURNARVAIZA .
ThefollowingMembers,presentorrepresented,votedagainsttheOpinion:
Mr/Mrs:BARROW,BERNS,BLESER,BOISSEREE ,CARROLL,CONNELLAN ,ELSTNER,GARDNER ,
GIACOMELLI ,GREDAL,GREEN,GROBEN,GUILLAUME ,HAGEN,HILKENS,HOVGAARD JAKOB­
SEN,KAARIS,KAFKA,LITTLE,MOBBS,MORELAND ,MULLERE.,PASQUALI,PEARSON,RAMAE­
KERS,RANGONIMACHIAVELLI ,SCHADE-POULSEN ,STRAUSS,WHITWORTH .
ThefollowingMembers,presentorrepresented,abstained:
Mr:BEALE,BELL,DUNKEL,FREEMAN,GIATRAS,GIESECKE ,LOW,NIELSENB„NIELSENP.,
PETERSEN ,VANDERMEEREN .