WRITTEN QUESTION No. 4169/97 by Eryl McNALLY to the Commission. SKY satellite transmission in the EU
Date: 1998-01-21
Institutions: European Parliament, MCNALLY
Subjects: cable distribution, copyright, dissemination of information, limited circulation, satellite communications, television, transmission network

22. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 196/91

(98/C 196/126)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4169/97

by Eryl McNally (PSE) to the Commission

(21 January 1998)

Subject: SKY satellite transmission in the EU

According to the satellite television company SKY, British copyright laws forbid British citizens who have paid
for SKY broadcasting within the UK from receiving transmissions whilst visiting or residing in other countries in
the European Union. Consequently, many British citizens who reside in or visit other countries in the European
Union are forced to either forego SKY, or illegally take their SKY card abroad and give SKY a UK address. None
of the other countries within the EU have any restrictions on the viewing of their channels and they are available
in all other European countries.

What can the Commission do to help ensure that British subscribers to SKY satellite television will be able to
enjoy the same rights and conditions as those already enjoyed by their fellow-Europeans?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(24 February 1998)

The Commission is aware that the reception of certain satellite broadcasting services across the Community is
limited for reasons mainly related to copyright. This situation does not apply only to the broadcasting service
which the Honourable Member mentions, but also to a series of other satellite broadcasting services established
in other Member States.

The Commission has already examined these cases where consumers are restricted in their choice of television
programmes, but has concluded that it cannot intervene since there seems to be no infringement of Community
law.

Limitations  on  the  reception  of  certain  satellite  broadcasting  services  are  not  based  on  national  regulatory
restrictions  on  the  retransmission  of  television  services,  but  depend  on  commercial  decisions  taken  by  the
broadcasting  operators  concerned,  mainly  due  to  the  exploitation  agreement  with  the  rightholders  for  the
broadcasting of their works. As a result there is no infringement of internal market requirements.

(98/C 196/127)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4172/97

by Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna (PPE) to the Commission

(21 January 1998)

Subject: Cohesion policy and culture

In its communication COM(96) 512 final, Cohesion Policy and Culture: A contribution to employment (more
precisely  on  page  3  of  the  introduction),  the  Commission  refers  to  the  varied  nature  of  (cid:145)culture(cid:146)  without
managing to convey in what this variety consists.

Can the Commission state what activities are covered by the term (cid:145)culture(cid:146) in the context of cohesion policy?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf-Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(17 February 1998)

The communication explains in its introduction the diversity of (cid:145)culture(cid:146) as follows:

(cid:145)The cultural sector is characterised by growing close and varied inter-relations between cultural life (public
cultural  and  social  institutions:  theatres,  museums,  arts  centres;  historical  urban/rural  sites,  arts  and  music
schools etc.) and the cultural economy (music, arts, literature and books, film, television and video production,
photography,  design,  visual  and  entertainment  arts,  architecture,  crafts  and  trade,  protection  of  historical
monuments, tourism)(cid:146).