Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 25 January 1999 concerning public service broadcasting
Date: 1999-01-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union, Representatives of the Governments of the Member States
Subjects: EU Member State, audiovisual communications policy, broadcasting, financing, public service

5.2.1999

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

C  30/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

RESOLUTION  OF  THE  COUNCIL  AND  OF  THE  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
GOVERNMENTS  OF  THE  MEMBER  STATES,  MEETING  WITHIN  THE  COUNCIL

of  25  January  1999

concerning  public  service  broadcasting

(1999/C  30/01)

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION  AND  THE
REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE  GOVERNMENTS  OF  THE
MEMBER  STATES  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITY,
MEETING  WITHIN  THE  COUNCIL,

(A)(cid:217)referring 

to 

the  Council’s  discussion  on  public

service  broadcasting;

(B) considering  the  fact  that  public  service  broadcasting,
its  cultural,  social  and  democratic
in  view  of 
functions  which  it  discharges  for  the  common  good,
has  a  vital  significance  for  ensuring  democracy,
pluralism,  social  cohesion,  cultural  and 
linguistic
diversity;

(C) stressing  that  the 

increased  diversification  of  the
programmes  on  offer  in  the  new  media  environment
reinforces 
the  comprehensive
mission  of  public  service  broadcasters;

importance  of 

the 

(D) recalling 

the  affirmation  of  competence  of 

the
Member  States  concerning  remit  and  funding  set  out
in  the  Protocol  on  the  system  of  public  broadcasting
in  the  Member  States  to  the  Treaty  of  Amsterdam;

NOTE  AND  REAFFIRM  THAT:

(1)(cid:217)the  Amsterdam  protocol  confirms  that 

is  the
unanimous  will  of  the  Member  States  to  stress  the
role  of  public  service  broadcasting;

it 

(2)(cid:217)thus  the  provisions  of  the  Treaty  establishing  the
European  Community  shall  be  without  prejudice  to
the  competence  of  Member  States  to  provide  for  the
funding  of  public  service  broadcasting 
insofar  as
is  granted  to  broadcasting  organi(cid:220)
such  funding 

sations  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  public  service  remit
as  conferred,  defined  and  organised  by  each  Member
State,  and  insofar  as  such  funding  does  not  affect
trading 
the
and 
Community  to  an  extent  which  would  be  contrary  to
the  common  interest,  while  the  realisation  of  the
remit  of  that  public  service  shall  be  taken 
into
account;

competition 

conditions 

in 

(3)(cid:217)the  fulfilment  of  the  public  service  broadcasting’s
mission  must  continue  to  benefit  from  technological
progress;

(4)(cid:217)broad  public  access,  without  discrimination  and  on
the  basis  of  equal  opportunities,  to  various  channels
and  services  is  a  necessary  precondition  for  fulfilling
the  special  obligation  of  public  service  broadcasting;

(5)(cid:217)according  to  the  definition  of  the  public  service  remit
by  the  Member  States,  public  service  broadcasting
has  an  important  role  in  bringing  to  the  public  the
benefits  of  the  new  audiovisual  and 
information
services  and  the  new  technologies;

(6)(cid:217)the  ability  of  public  service  broadcasting  to  offer
quality  programming  and  services  to  the  public  must
be  maintained  and  enhanced,  including  the  devel(cid:220)
opment  and  diversification  of  activities  in  the  digital
age;

(7)(cid:217)public  service  broadcasting  must  be  able  to  continue
in
to  provide  a  wide  range  of  programming 
accordance  with  its  remit  as  defined  by  the  Member
States  in  order  to  address  society  as  a  whole;  in  this
context  it  is  legitimate  for  public  service  broadcasting
to  seek  to  reach  wide  audiences.