POŻIZZJONI KOMUNI (KE) NRU 24/2006

adottata mill-Kunsill fit-18 ta' Settembru 2006

bil-ħsieb li jadotta r-Rakkomandazzjoni 2006/…/KE tal-Parlament Ewropew u tal-Kunsill tal- … dwar il-protezzjoni tal-minuri u d-dinjità umana u dwar il-jedd tat-tweġiba b'relazzjoni mal-kompetittività ta' l-industrija ta' l-awdjo-viżiv Ewropew u l-informazzjoni on-line

(2006/C 295 E/02)

IL-PARLAMENT EWROPEW U L-KUNSILL TA' L-UNJONI EWROPEA,

Wara li kkunsidraw it-Trattat li jistabbilixxi l-Komunità Ewropea, u b'mod partikolari l-Artikolu 157 tiegħu,

Wara li kkunsidraw il-proposta mill-Kummissjoni,

Wara li kkunsidraw l-Opinjoni tal-Kumitat Ekonomiku u Soċjali Ewropew (1),

Wara li kkonsultaw lill-Kumitat tar-Reġjuni,

Filwaqt li jaġixxu skond il-proċedura msemmija fl-Artikolu 251 tat-Trattat (2),

Billi:

JIRRAKKOMANDAW DAN LI ĠEJ:

I. L-Istati Membri, fl-interess tal-promozzjoni ta' l-iżvilupp ta' l-industrija tas-servizzi awdjoviżivi u dik ta' l-informazzjoni online, jieħdu l-miżuri meħtieġa biex jiżguraw il-protezzjoni tal-minuri u d-dinjità umana fis-servizzi kollha awdjoviżivi u ta' l-informazzjoni online, billi:

II. L-industrija tas-servizzi awdjoviżivi u ta' l-informazzjoni online u partijiet oħra kkonċernati:

JINNUTAW LI L-KUMMISSJONI:

(1) ĠU C 221, 8.9.2005, p. 87.

(2) Opinjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew tas-7 ta' Settembru 2005. (ĠU C 193 E, 17.8.2006, p. 217), Pożizzjoni Komuni tal-Kunsill ta' 18 ta' Settembru 2006 u Pożizzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew ta' … (għadha mhijiex ippubblikata fil-Ġurnal Uffiċjali).

(3) ĠU C 364, 18.12.2000, p. 1.

(4) ĠU L 270, 7.10.1998, p. 48.

(5) ĠU L 298, 17.10.1989, p. 23. Direttiva kif emendata bid-Direttiva 97/36/KE tal-Parlament Ewropew u tal-Kunsill (ĠU L 202, 30.7.1997, p. 60).

(6) Deċiżjoni Nru 276/1999/KE tal-Parlament Ewropew u tal-Kunsill tal-25 ta' Jannar 1999 li tadotta pjan ta' azzjoni multi-annwali tal-Komunità li jħeġġeġ użu aktar sigur tal-Internet u li jiġġieled il-kontenut illegali u ta' ħsara fin-networks globali (ĠU L 33, 6.2.1999, p. 1). Deċiżjoni kif emendata l-aħħar bid-Deċiżjoni Nru 787/2004/KE (ĠU L 138, 30.4.2004, p. 12).

(7) Deċiżjoni Nru 1151/2003/KE tal-Parlament Ewropew u tal-Kunsill tas-16 ta' Ġunju 2003 li temenda d-Deċiżjoni Nru 276/1999/KE li tadotta pjan tal-Komunità multiannwali dwar il-promozzjoni tal-użu aktar fiż-żgur tal-Internet għall-ġlieda kontra kontenut illegali u ta' ħsara fuq networks globali (ĠU L 162, 1.7.2003, p. 1).

(8) ĠU L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1.

(9) ĠU L 202, 30.7.1997, p. 60.

(10) ĠU C 296, 10.11.1995, p. 15.

DIKJARAZZJONI TAR-RAĠUNIJIET TAL-KUNSILL

I. L-INTRODUZZJONI

1. On 30 April 2004 the Commission submitted to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal for a recommendation, based on Article 157 of the EC Treaty, on the protection of minors and the right of reply in relation to the competitiveness of the audiovisual and information services industry.

2. Il-Kumitat Ekonomiku u Soċjali Ewropew ta l-pinjoni tiegħu fil-15 ta' Diċembru 2005.

3. Il-Parlament Ewropew ta l-Opinjoni tiegħu fl-ewwel qari fl-20 ta' April 1994.

4. Il-Kummissjoni ssottomettiet proposta emendata fis-26 ta' Awissu 2005.

5. Fit-18 ta' Settembru 2006, il-Kunsill adotta l-posizzjoni komuni tiegħu skond l-Artikolu 251(2) tat-Trattat.

II. OBJETTIV

The proposal follows up on Council Recommendation 98/560/EC of 24 September 1998 (1), the first legal instrument at EU level which addresses issues of protection of minors and human dignity in relation to audiovisual and information services.

The proposed Recommendation calls on the Member States, industry and interested parties and the Commission to enhance the protection of minors and to respect human dignity in both the broadcasting sector and on the internet. It proposes that Member States consider the introduction of measures concerning the right of reply in relation to on-line media. The following issues are addressed by the draft Recommendation:

— media literacy;

— rating or classification of audiovisual content;

— portrayal of the sexes in media and advertising;

— right of reply.

III. ANALIŻI TAL-POŻIZZJONI KOMUNI

1. Kummenti ġenerali

The Council's common position retains the main elements of the Commission's original proposal. The main changes introduced by the Council aim to further refine the scope of the Recommendation. The Council has thus specified that the Recommendation covers “audiovisual and online information services” rather than “audiovisual and information services”, and has differentiated the scope of the right of reply, which applies to online media, from the wider scope of the part of the Recommendation dealing with the protection of minors.

2. Emendi tal-Parlament Ewropew

The Council has sought in its common position to take account of the European Parliament's concerns and priorities and was able to accept most of Parliament's amendments.

The Council accepted in full, in part or in principle, as did the Commission in its amended proposal, amendments 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35, 36, 37 and 38.

The Council wishes to make the following comments on those amendments where its position slightly diverges from the Commission's modified proposal.

Regarding amendments 23 and 29, the Council has followed the approach taken by the Commission, i.e. some parts of the respective amendments were transferred — in the form of examples of possible actions to be taken in order to achieve the stated aims of the Recommendation — to annexes. It has, however, reinserted some elements considered important by the European Parliament in the body of the Recommendation, in order to further approximate positions with Parliament.

Likewise, whilst trying to avoid the introduction of a burdensome reporting obligation, the Council was able to accept the spirit of amendments 35 and 36, to meet Parliament's concerns that follow-up be ensured.

The Council was unable to accept the part of amendment 37 replacing the term “indicative guidelines” by “minimum principles” in the section relating to the right of reply, as this term was considered excessive in the context of a recommendation.

Regarding amendment 26, last indent, the Council took the view that it was preferable not to focus exclusively on the establishment of a single telephone hotline when envisaging the possible means of reporting illegal or suspicious activities on the Internet, and has retained a more open-ended wording.

The Council has followed the line taken by the Commission in its amended proposal and did not include amendments 3, 5, 13, 27, 32 and 34 in its common position.

IV. KONKLUŻJONI

Il-Kunsill iqis li, b'mod ġenerali, il-Pożizzjoni Komuni hija konformi ma' l-objettivi tal-proposta emendata tal-Kummissjoni. The Council also considers that it has taken due account of the objectives pursued by the European Parliament in its amendments to the Commission's proposal and looks forward to an agreement with the Parliament in the near future with a view to the early adoption of the Recommendation.

(1) ĠU L 270, 7.10.1998, p. 48.