Initscommunicationentitled‘AstrongerEuropean-basedpharmaceuticalindustryforthebenefitofthe
patient/dashacallforaction’(1)of1July2003,theCommissiontackledthequestionofmedicinepricesin
severalchapters.
InitscommunicationtheCommissionsuggestedanumberofwaystointroducemeasurestomakethe
marketmorevigorousandcompetitivewithaviewtoencouragingmarketintegration.Ontheonehand,theMemberStateswereaskedtoexaminetheirexistingpricingandreimbursementsystemstoensurethattheyoperatedfullyinaccordancewithDirective89/105/CEE(TransparencyDirective)(
2),tolookintothe
possibilityofreducingthetimelagbetweentheauthorisationofmedicinesandtheiractualavailabilityon
themarketandtoseewhethertheycoulddevelopclosercoordinationofstudiescarriedoutinconnection
withproceduresforregulatingpricingandreimbursement.Ontheotherhand,theCommissiongaveanundertakinginitscommunicationthatitwouldlaunchareflectiononfindingalternativewaystocontrolnationalexpenditureonhealthcare,primarilybyallowingmanufacturerstosetthepricesofnewproducts,whileatthesametimenegotiatingwiththeMemberStatessuitablesafeguardmechanismsinlinewithCommunityrulesoncompetitionandwiththeprincipleofthefreemovementofgoods.
Withregardtothefirstpoint,aninitiativehasbeenlaunchedbytheTransparencyCommittee(committee
onthetransparencyofmeasuresregulatingthepricingofmedicinalproducts,setupbyDirective89/105/EEC).
Asforthesecondpoint,theCommissioniscurrentlyworkingonatimetableandanactionplanto
concludethereflectiononcontrollingnationalexpenditureonhealthcareandonapossibleEuropeanpriceforcertainmedicines.
(1) COM(2003)383final.
(2) CouncilDirective89/105/EECof21December1988relatingtothetransparencyofmeasuresregulatingtheprices
ofmedicinalproductsforhumanuseandtheirinclusioninthescopeofnationalhealthinsurancesystems,OJL40,
11.2.1989.
(2004/C58E/207) WRITTENQUESTIONE-2671/03
byToineManders(ELDR)totheCommission
(10September2003)
Subject:ActionPlanforEuropeanProfessionalFootball
TheEuropeanCommissionrecentlyapprovedtheUEFA’srevisedmediapolicy.Accordingtotherules,
mediarightsmaynolongerbesoldcollectivelyandinpackages,aswasthecasethroughoutEuropeuntillastyear.Theaimoftherevisedpolicyistopreventthedevelopmentofmonopoliesandtocreatemarket
forces.However,thatdoesnotseemtohavehappenedinmostcountries.AsaresultofthesaleofTV
rightsinEngland,forexample,BSkyBhasacquiredalltheavailablebroadcastingrights.IntheNetherlands,ithasnowbecomeclearthattheaverageincomeforfootballclubswillbeconsiderablylowerthanitwas.Theupshotofthisisthat,thisseason,evenmoreprofessionalfootballclubsinEuropewillbestrugglingtocopewithdeficitsandwillbeabletosurviveonlywithaidfromlocalauthorities.AndthatencroachesonanotherEuropeanpolicyarea:competition.ThisisjustoneexampleofconflictingCommunitypolicyareasadverselyaffectingprofessionalfootball.
Pursuant tothe case-law ofthe European CourtofJustice, professionalfootballclubsare held to be
commercialundertakingstowhich /dashlikeundertakingsinevery otherindustry/dashEuropean rulesareapplicable.Inpractice,theapplicationofthoserulesseemstobehavinganadverseeffectonthefootballsectorasaresultofthemanyuncertaintiesandgreyareasinvolved.Theresultisthatthepeoplerunningprofessionalfootballdonotknowwhethertheyarecomingorgoing,andthat,too,contributestothe
furtherdeclineofEuropeanfootball,withallitsnegativesocialandeconomicconsequences.
It is time for the Commission to stop shilly-shallying and abandon its hand-to-mouth policy on
professionalfootball.Itmustactdecisivelysoastoclearupthemanyuncertaintieswithwhichthesectoriscurrentlyhavingtocopesothattheclubs,players,spectators,nationalassociationsandlocalauthoritiesmayhavesomeideaofwhatisgoingonandnot,asiscurrentlythecase,becauseofthelackofclarityintherules,beconstantlyworryingaboutwhetherornottheyarecomplyingwiththoserules.C58E/192 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
1. Is the Commissionaware ofthe harmful side-effects referred toabove ofUEFA’s revised media
policy,asaresultofwhichclubswill,onaverage,receivelessincomefromTVrights?
2. DoestheCommissionagreewithmethatprofessionalfootballinEuropeisbeingadverselyaffected
byvariousconflictingCommunitypolicyareas?Ifnot,whynot?
3. In the short term, is the Commission planning to catalogue the issues concerning professional
footballinrespectofwhichgreaterclarityisrequired?Ifnot,whynot?
4. IstheCommissionplanningtoinitiateastructuralpolicywithaviewtogivingapositiveboostto
theailingEuropeanfootballsector?Ifso,isitpreparedtodothatbydevisingan‘ActionPlanforEuropean
ProfessionalFootball’whichlaysdownclear,detailedconditionsandrequirementswithregardtoEuropean
rulessuchasstateaid,mediapolicyandtransferpolicy?Ifnot,whynot?
AnswergivenbyMrsRedingonbehalfoftheCommission
(17October2003)
TheHonourableParliamentarianreferstothefinalCommissionDecisionofJuly2003(1)whichseeksto
grantanexemptioninthecaseofthenewrulesonjointsellingintroducedbytheUnionofEuropeanFootballAssociations(UEFA)concerningmediarightstotheChampionsLeague.
OnbeingnotifiedabouttherulesonjointsellingbyUEFAin1999,theCommissionwasinitiallyopposed
to them because all television rights to the Champions League were soldin a single lot to a singlebroadcaster onanexclusive basisfor fouryears. UEFA’s rules onjoint selling thus had the effect ofrestricting competitionbetweenbroadcasters.Byrestricting accesstothiskeyareaofsport,theyalsohamperedthedevelopmentofsportsservicesontheInternetandthenewgenerationofmobilephones,whichrancountertotheinterestsofbroadcasters,clubs,supportersandconsumers.
InJuly2003,theCommissiondecidedthatthenewrulesweredifferent.TheyenableUEFAtosellrightsto
the Champions League while giving a greater number of broadcasters, Internet service providers andtelephoneoperatorsaccesstofootballandallowingclubstomarketsomeoftheserightsindividually.The action taken by the Commission will thus help to increase the number and variety of footballprogrammesontelevision.
TheCommissionthereforedoesnotsharetheHonourableMember’sviewthattheeffectsofthisdecision
areharmful.Onthecontrary,theCommissionfeelsthatthispositiveoutcometothesituationshowsthatthe marketing of rights to footballcompetitions can be brought into line with Community rules oncompetitionwithoutupsettingthebalanceofthefootballsector.Moreover,therehasbeennosignoftheadverseeffectsreferredtobytheHonourableMemberinhisquestiononUEFA’srevisedmediapolicy,i.e.thepolicyhasnotreducedtheincomeearnedbyclubsfromtelevisionrights.Onthecontrary,initspressreleaseof18September2003,UEFAannouncedthatrevenuederivedfromtheChampionsleaguewashigherthanforecastandwaslikelytoriseby13%between2003and2006,withsubstantialincreases
expectedinEngland,ScandinaviaandtheNetherlands.
TheCommissionfeelsthatitsrelationswiththeworldoffootballarecoherentanddoesnotknowwhat
theHonourableMembermightbereferringtowhenhespeaksaboutconflictingCommunitypolicyareas.
TheCommissionseekstoactstrictlywithinitsremit.Itthereforedoesnotplantoinitiateanyspecial
policyonEuropeanfootballortoadoptan‘actionplanforEuropeanprofessionalfootball’.InkeepingwiththespiritoftheNiceDeclaration(
2),thismatterisprimarilytheresponsibilityofsportsorganisations.
(1) C(2003)2627final/dashCommissionDecisionof23July2003relatingtoaproceedingundertoArticle81oftheEC
TreatyandArticle53oftheEEAAgreement(COMP/C.2-37398)/dashJointsellingofthecommercialrightsofthe
UEFAChampionsLeague.
(2) AnnexIVtotheConclusionsofthePresidency,NiceEuropeanCouncil/dash7,8and9December2000,‘Declaration
onthespecificcharacteristicsofsportanditssocialfunctioninEurope,ofwhichaccountshouldbetakeninimplementingcommonpolicies’.6.3.2004EN C58E/193 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion