WRITTEN QUESTION P-0523/02 by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Private radio and television media in the European Union.
Date: 2002-02-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, application of EU law, competence of the Member States, legal status, private media, regulation of telecommunications, television

C 205 E/160

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

(2002/C 205 E/171)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0523/02

by Emmanouil Bakopoulos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

Subject: Private radio and television media in the European Union

(19 February 2002)

According to statistics of the European observatory for television and radio broadcasting, there are
currently 843 television and 1 424 radio broadcasting companies in the European Union, and many of
these are private.

Will the Commission say what is the status of the private radio and television media in Greece and in
particular whether frequency owners are required to pay for occupying frequencies?

Will it also say whether Directive 89/552/EEC (1), as amended in 1997, and particularly the provisions of
Chapter II, Article 2(1) and Article 3(2) and Chapter VII, Article 25(2) on controls on compliance with the
rules governing the activities of radio and television broadcasting channels are being implemented?

(1) OJ L 298, 17.10.1989, p. 23.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(21 March 2002)

The Television without frontiers Directive (Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the
coordination of certain provisions laid down by Law, Regulation or Administrative Action in Member
States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities as amended by Directive 97/36/EC of the
Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 199 (1) 1, (hereafter the TVWF Directive)) provides that Member
States shall ensure freedom of reception on their territory of television broadcasts from other Member
States (Article 2a(1)). The TVWF Directive is based on Internal Market principles, notably, the application
of the rules of the country of origin.

The granting of licences for television broadcasting falls within the competence of the Member States,
subject to compliance with the general principles of the EC Treaty relating in particular to the freedom to
provide services. Also the access to networks and the allocation of frequencies insofar as they are not
covered by other Community Directives concerning networks and access (the Electronic Communications
package) are within the competence of the Member State. According to Article 25(2) of the TVWF
Directive, Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national
law that they adopt in the fields governed by the Directive. Member States therefore had no duty to inform
the Commission on their licensing procedures.

(1) OJ L 202, 30.7.1997.

(2002/C 205 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0525/02

by Gian Gobbo (NI) to the Commission

(19 February 2002)

Subject: The future of tobacco growing in Europe and in the Veneto

Tobacco has been grown in Europe since the seventeenth century. European tobacco is generally grown on
small farms where farming is a family tradition handed down from father to son. Tobacco growing is often
combined with the production of other crops or livestock rearing and helps maintain agricultural diversity,
which is certainly the case in the Veneto region, and the province of Verona in particular.

Tobacco is grown by 130 000 producers in Europe who provide employment for around 500 000
workers, mainly in Italy, Greece, France and Spain.