14.3.86 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 59/3 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Directive on the adoption of common technical specifications of the 
MAC/packet family of standards for direct satellite television broadcasting 
COM(86) 1 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 24 January 1986) 
(86/C 59/03) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 100 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas for the purposes of this Directive direct broad­
casting by satellite means a broadcasting satellite service 
as defined in the Radio Regulations of the International 
Telecommunications Union using channels assigned to 
Member States in the 11.7 to 12.5 GHz band at the 
World Broadcasting Satellite Administrative Radio 
Conference (Geneva 1977) and intended for display on 
625 lines domestic TV receivers; 
Whereas, in the near future, satellites for direct television 
broadcasting will be placed in orbit by several European 
countries and subsequently new television sets 
corresponding to public needs will be introduced by the 
manufacturers; 
Whereas the use of common technical specifications for 
direct satellite broadcasting of television programmes 
and possibly for their redistribution by cable becomes a 
pressing need in order to attain the objectives set out 
hereafter; 
Whereas the implementation of common technical 
specifications simplifies the broadcasting of television 
programmes in all countries of the Community and 
makes a significant contribution to European unification 
and to the development of a true European identity; 
Whereas the technical capability to transmit simul­
taneously on several sound channels opens the way to 
truly pan-European multilingual television programmes; Whereas the implementation of common technical 
specifications leads to the creation of a large unified 
market, on which products will be freely exchanged 
without any technical barriers, which will be of great 
economic benefit for the European consumer electronics 
industry as regards its competitiveness; 
Whereas it is indispensable that a guarantee be given to 
manufacturers and broadcasters in respect of their 
investments and supplies, by the application of such 
common technical standards at Community level; 
Whereas the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and 
the European manufacturers of the relevant branch 
represented by their associations have perfected and 
published technical specifications forming part of the 
MAC/packet family for the direct television broad­
casting and the redistribution of programmes by cable; 
Whereas the MAC/packet family includes: 
— for direct satellite broadcasting: the system C-MAC/ 
packet and the system D2-MAC/packet with 
frequency modulation, 
— for cable distribution: the system D-MAC/packet 
and the system D2-MAC/packet with vestigial-
sideband amplitude modulation; 
Whereas it has been recognized by the European Broad­
casting Union (EBU) and the European manufacturers 
of the relevant branch represented by their associations 
that the technical specifications forming part of the 
MAC/packet family and especially the versions C-MAC, 
D-MAC and D2-MAC are compatible; 
Whereas these specifications would make it possible to 
meet the service requirements in the different national 
contexts and the economic demands of the market; 
Whereas technical progress is liable to require adaptation 
of the technical specifications defined in the framework 
of this Directive and of those which will be defined sub­
sequently in the field of direct television broadcasting by 
satellite; 
No C 59/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 14.3.86 
Whereas it is advisable, in order to facilitate the 
implementation of the measures necessary for this 
purpose, to provide for a procedure for adaptation to 
technical progress by means of close cooperation 
between the Member States and the Commission within 
the framework of a committee; 
Whereas the adoption at Community level of common 
technical specifications for direct satellite broadcasting of 
television programmes and their redistribution by cable 
corresponds to the measures recommended by the 
European Parliament in its resolution of 12 March 1982, 
and by the Commission in its communiction to the 
Council of 14 June 1984, referred to as the 'Green 
paper', concerning television without frontiers; 
Whereas the Industry-Telecommunications Council 
meeting in Luxembourg on 3 June 1985 took a 
favourable view of the communication of the 
Commission to the Council recommending the 
implementation of common technical specifications of 
the MAC/packet family, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
1. Member States shall use the systems forming part 
of the MAC/packet family; the list of the respective 
technical specifications established by the European 
Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the European manufac­
turers of the relevant branch represented by their 
associations is shown in the Annex, with an indication of 
the reference numbers and the dates of publication. 
2. For the direct broadcasting by satellite of television 
programmes, Member States shall exclusively use the 
C-MAC/packet system or the D2-MAC/packet system 
with frequency modulation. 
3. For possible redistribution by cable of these 
programmes, Member States shall use the D-MAC/ 
packet system or the D2-MAC/-packet system with 
vertigial-sideband amplitude modulation or, failing that, 
the systems already in use at the date on which this 
Directive is implemented, as mentioned in Article 5. 
4. Member States shall select the system or systems of 
the MAC/packet family which is or are more appro­
priate to the present or future structure of their broad­
casting or cable distribution networks and shall inform 
the Commission of their option. 
Article 2 
The amendments necessary to adapt Annex I in line with 
technical progress, drawn up by competent international 
organizations, shall be made in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 4. Article 3 
1. A committee on the adaptation to technical 
progress of the technical specifications related to the 
direct television broadcasting by satellite and the redistri­
bution of programmes by cable (hereinafter called 'the 
Committee') is hereby set up. It shall consist of repre­
sentatives of the Member States with a representative of 
the Commission as chairman. 
2. The Committee shall adopt its own rules of 
procedure. 
Article 4 
1. Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to 
be followed, matters shall be referred to the Committee 
by its chairman, either on his own initiative or at the 
request of the representative of a Member State. 
2. The representative of the Commission shall submit 
to the Committee a draft of the measures to be adopted. 
The Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft 
within a period which shall not exceed two months. 
Opinions shall be adopted by a majority of 54 votes, the 
votes of Member States being weighted as provided in 
Article 148 (2) of the Treaty. 
The chairman shall not vote. 
3. (a) The Commission shall adopt the measures 
envisaged where they are in accordance with the 
opinion of the Committee. 
(b) Where the measures envisaged are not in 
accordance with the opinion of the Committee, or 
if no opinion is adopted, the Commission shall 
without delay propose to the Council the 
measures to be adopted. The Council shall act by 
a qualified majority. 
(c) If, within three months of the proposal being 
submitted to it, the Council has not acted, the 
proposed measures shall be adopted by the 
Commission. 
Article 5 
1. Member States shall bring into force the provisions 
necessary to comply with this Directive at the latest on 1 
January 1987 and shall forthwith inform the Commission 
thereof. 
2. Member States shall communicate to the 
Commission the text of the provisions of national law 
which they adopt in the field governed by this Directive. 
Article 6 
This Directive is adressed to the Member States. 
14.3.86 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 59/5 
ANNEX 
List of technical specifications relevant to the MAC/packet family of systems 
1. Television standards for the broadcasting satellite service 
Specification of the C-MAC/packet system 
EBU Doc: SPB 284 (4th revised version), February 1985 
2. Method of conveying C-MAC/packet signals in small and large collective antennas and cable network 
installations. 
Chapter A: Specification of the D-MAC/packet system 
Chapter B: Specification of the D2-MAC/packet system 
Chapter C: Specification of the D2-MAC/packet system with frequency modulation for DBS 
EBU Doc. SPB 352 (revised version), February 1985 
3. Frequency modulation parameters of the D2-MAC/packet system for DBS 
EBU Doc. SPB 368, April 1985