WRITTEN QUESTION P-2360/00

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(7 July 2000)

Subject: Impending abolition of Dutch Board of Film Censors

1. Is the Commission aware of the Netherlands government's intention to abolish the (new) Dutch Board of Film Censors (Nederlandse Filmkeuring NFK) established by law and replace it with a scheme of self-regulation by the industry?

2. What is the Commission's position in this connection, having regard in particular to the numerous measures it takes to ensure protection of minors and uphold human dignity in relation to the new media?

3. How can the Commission explain the self-evident contradiction between abolishing an independent classification committee like the Dutch Board of Film Censors and European Union efforts to promote protective measures applicable to the new media?

4. What action will the Commission take to preserve the expertise and experience of the Dutch Board of Film Censors for the future, and what part does the Commission think should be assigned to itself in that connection?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(19 September 2000)

1. The Commission is aware of the Dutch government's intention to establish a new system for the classification of audiovisual media in the Netherlands. In line with the principle of subsidiarity, and given the cultural differences between Member States and regions, the establishment of such systems is first and foremost the responsibility of Member States.

The Commission understands that the Dutch government has proposed a legal framework for a system of self-regulation for audiovisual media in the Netherlands, and has also provided financial assistance for the establishment of the Netherlands Institute for the classification of audiovisual media (NICAM). NICAM brings together Dutch public service and commercial broadcasting organisations, film and video producers, video stores, retailers, and computer games distributors. The Commission understands that it is intended also to include Internet service providers in NICAM. A new Dutch media law will disband the Netherlands board of film classification but it is intended that its knowledge and expertise will be employed within NICAM.

2. The Council Recommendation of 24 September 1998 on the development of the competitiveness of the European audiovisual and information services industry by promoting national frameworks aimed at achieving a comparable and effective level of protection of minors and human dignity (98/560/EC)(1) calls on Member States to establish national self-regulation frameworks in audiovisual and information services. The approach taken by the Dutch government would appear to be fully in line with the Recommendation.

Children today use audiovisual media in a variety of forms. They go to the cinema, they watch television and videos, they play computer games and they surf on the Internet. There would seem to be no reason why each medium for delivering audiovisual content (often the same content) should be subject to different classification systems. Indeed, this is highly confusing for parents. A coherent approach to the classification of audiovisual media is therefore to be welcomed.

3. The Commission does not see a contradiction here, since the approach of the Dutch government is not to simply abolish the Dutch board of film censors but to replace it with a system and an institute that covers all audiovisual media. NICAM has stated its desire to employ the knowledge and expertise of the Dutch board of film censors when the latter is disbanded.

4. As already stated, systems for classifying audiovisual media and for protecting minors from harmful audiovisual content are primarily the responsibility of Member States. However, it is the Commission's view that a coherent approach to the classification of audiovisual media (cinema, television; video games, Internet) would be more comprehensible for parents and would lead to a higher level of protection for minors. Film classification boards in all Member States have gathered almost a century of experience in the evaluation and classification of audiovisual material, and their participation in any such approach would therefore seem to be essential.

(1) OJ L 270, 7.10.1998.