ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
DE LA COMMISSION 
 
 
 
COLLECTION RELIEE DES 
DOCUMENTS "COM" 
 
 
 
 
COM (85) 264 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0 117 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), t his file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februa r 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 v om 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C0HC85) 264 final
Brussels, 31 may 1985
COMMUNICATION OF THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL
on adoption of common standards for direct 
TV transmissions via satellites
C0MC85) 264 final

Communication of the Commission to the Council on
Adoption of common standards for direct
.IY . tXflJisuLi.ssi e ns vi a  s a t9,  JL li t . es
In the framework of its telecommunications policy, the 
Commission attaches a particular importance to the 
question of common standards in the field of 
telecommunication within the Community, in particular in 
those areas which make use of futur-oriented,  rapidly 
progressing developments in advanced technologies. The 
Commission has expressed its concern about the 
establishment of common standards already in previous 
communications to the Council, for instance concerning 
the new integrated services digital networks (ISDN), the 
videotex service and the mobile cellular radio 
telephony.
Another area in which the establishment and use of 
common standards becomes a more and more pressing need 
is the direct transmission of TV via satellites. This 
is an area of fast development, not at last for 
commercial reasons, and some Governments in Europe have 
already taken individual decisions as regards the 
standards to be applied.
A new common standard must now be decided upon without 
delay in order to avoid that the present situation of 
the two existing different systems, PAL and SECAM, for 
terrestrial TV-broadcsting would be continued into the 
new era of direct TV-broadcasting by satellites.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has developed 
during the past years, on the basis of the conditions 
for European direct satellite broadcasting established 
in 1977 by the World Administrative Radiocommunication 
Conference (WARC). technical standards for a new 
advanced transmission system.
The new system, called C-MAC/packet provides a very high 
transmission quality for pictures, sound and data. It 
consists of an analogue picture signal transmission 
channel and eight simultaneous digital sound and data 
channels.
This system was adopted in June 1983 with unanimity by 
the Technical Committee of th EBU. However this high 
performance system requires a relatively large 
bandwidth, i.e.transmission channel capacity, which 
makes it incompatible for direct connection to TV cable 
distribution networks which are being set up in the 
countries of the Community.
Technical experts of the EBU, together with industry 
have therefore developed another version of the 
C-MAC/packet System (called D2-MAC/packet)  which has the 
same picture transmission, but only four sound channels, 
thereby requiring less bandwidth. It establishes 
compatibility between direct satellite transmission 
links, usual terrestrial TV broadcasting and TV cable 
distribution networks. These two versions form a family 
of standards for direct Satellite TV-broadcasting,  
compatible one with the other.
At a recent conference early in February 1985 between 
the European Association of Consumer Electronics 
Manufacturers (EACEM) and the E8U,  it was concluded that 
this coherent family of compatible systems for satellite 
broadcasting and cable distribution would make it

possible to meet the service requirements in the 
different national contexts and the economic demands of 
the market.
For direct satellite broadcasting, the C-MAC/packet 
System (recommended by the EBU) and the D2-MAC/packet 
System (recommended by the manufacturers) would be used, 
whereas for cable distribution the D-MAC/packet and the 
D2-MAC/packet system would be appropriate.
The manufacturing industry has expressed the view, that 
the co-existence of the two systems (C-MAC/packet and 
D2-MAC/packet)  would not give rise to major problems. 
The production of bi-standard TV-sets would not imply 
higher costs due to the great similarity of the 
s ta nd ard s .
It should be noted that both the EBU and the 
manufacturers have expressed the view that neither the 
PAL nor the SECAM System should be used with direct 
broadcasting satellites, not even during a transitional 
period.
The agreement between EBU and industry for a family of 
European standards, the C(0)-MAC/packet systems family, 
forms a basis for concrete decisions.
The decision to be taken on either the C-MAC/packet or 
the D2-MAC/packet System or both (but on no other 
system) is a matter of extreme urgency. Direct 
TV-broadcasting satellites are now coming into service 
and it is extremely important to avoid the intermediate 
provisional use of any other standard in one or another 
country.
Moreover, the adoption of a common standard at Community 
level will be of great benefit to the European consumer 
electronics industry in view of its worldwide

competitivene s s .
Conclusion
The Commission will make during the second semester of 
1985 an appropriate proposal for the adoption of common 
standards at Community level.
Besides, the Commission insistently requests the Member 
States not to introduce from now on other standards not 
even temporarily.