WRITTEN QUESTION E-0606/03 by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Reception of Catalan and Basque television channels in France.
Date: 2003-03-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: France, Spain, application of EU law, audiovisual communications policy, control of communications, free movement of programmes, interpretation of the law, pluralism in the media, supervisory body

14.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 192 E/207

(2003/C 192 E/248)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0606/03

by Miquel Mayol i Raynal (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(3 March 2003)

Subject: Reception of Catalan and Basque television channels in France

Subsequent to its reply to a previous question on this matter tabled on 5 December 2001 (H-0953/01 (1)),
the Commission forwarded a copy of a letter from Mr Dominique Baudis, the chairman of France’s Conseil
supérieur de l’audiovisuel (Senior Council for Audiovisual Matters).

Mr Baudis indicates, among other things that, with an eye to social and cultural pluralism, the reception of
Catalan and Basque television channels in northern Catalonia and the northern Basque Country is subject
to authorisation by the institution over which he presides.

Does the Commission consider this authorisation system to conform to the principle of freedom to
broadcast and receive television services within the EU and to Article 2a(1) of the ‘Television without
frontiers’ directive guaranteeing the freedom to receive television broadcasts from another Member State?

(1) Written reply of 5.2.2002.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 2003)

The Commission would point out to the Honourable Member that the authorisation referred to in the
letter from the Chairman of France’s Senior Council for Audiovisual Matters (CSA) is not a reception
authorisation for the Catalonian and Basque television channels. French legislation does not lay down any
specific arrangements for cross-border television broadcasts in a regional or local language.

On the other hand:

(cid:1) the use by a television channel of a frequency assigned to France is, following a call for tenders issued
to authorisation under the conditions laid down in Act No 86-1067 of

by the CSA, subject
30 September 1986, as amended, concerning freedom of communication;

(cid:1) in border regions, the overspill of broadcasts from a terrestrial television channel for which another
Member State, such as Spain, is responsible, is not subject to authorisation following a call for tenders
if the frequency used is the responsibility of a State other than France. However, if such overspill
interferes with French television broadcasts, the French authority in charge of managing frequencies,
i.e. the National Frequency Agency, must get in touch with its counterpart in the State concerned in
order to remedy this.

The Commission considers that such a situation is fully compatible with the ‘television without frontiers’
Directive (1).

(1) 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 (cid:1)
OJ L 298, 17.10.1989.

(2003/C 192 E/249)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0615/03

by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(25 February 2003)

Subject: Proposed reform of the Common Organisations of the Market (COMs)

Will the Commission answer the following questions relating to the proposed reform of the Common
Organisations of the Market (COMs) as part of the interim review of the Common Agricultural Policy.