WRITTEN QUESTION P-2311/03 by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Council. Freedom and pluralism of communications media and granting the EU powers in this field under the European constitution.
Date: 2003-07-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Constitution, communications policy, pluralism in the media, right to information

13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 65 E/129

in May 2003, the International Accounting Standards Board’s (IASB) International Financial
Recently,
Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) issued its first draft Interpretation (D1) of existing standards,
which addresses the accounting treatment of emission rights.

Once the IASB has issued this interpretation on emission rights, the Commission will consider it for
endorsement at Community level.

(1) OJ L 222, 14.8.1978, Directive as last amended by Directive 2003/38/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of

13 May 2003, OJ L 120, 15.5.2003.

(2) OJ L 193, 18.7.1983, Directive as last amended by Directive 2003/38/EC.
(3) OJ L 156, 13.6.2001.
(4) OJ L 243, 11.9.2002.
(5) http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/03/st03/st03611en03.pdf

(2004/C 65 E/144)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2311/03

by Luciana Sbarbati (ELDR) to the Council

(8 July 2003)

Subject: Freedom and pluralism of communications media and granting the EU powers in this field under

the European constitution

Knowing that:

(cid:1) mass communications media, particularly television, are playing an increasingly important role in
providing citizens with information and with cultural and civic education, and in creating the
conditions under which consensus can emerge;

(cid:1) it should be borne in mind that the effects of the role played by the media may be determined by the

social, political and cultural opinions their ownership and management choose to propagate;

(cid:1) in a society organised on the basis of democratic principles, pluralism and impartiality of sources of
information and culture are vital factors in ensuring the proper functioning and survival of institutions
and thus of
the democratic system, as highlighted in the Declaration of Rome adopted on
30 November 2002 by the European Association of Former Members of Parliament of the Member
States of the Council of Europe or European Union (point 5);

(cid:1) the need to ensure pluralism in the media and prevent concentration in one or a few dominant
centres of political and economic interest, which are capable of influencing national policy, is a matter
of
level, and indeed has already been
enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

importance worthy of being dealt with at constitutional

Will the Council take steps to ensure that, when the European constitution is drawn up, freedom and
pluralism of the media are included among the Union’s values (Article 2 of the preliminary draft) and that
the protection of these rights is included among the Union’s objectives (Article 3 of the preliminary draft),
while specifying the conditions and means deemed necessary for securing and maintaining them, and
conferring the relevant powers upon the Union, either exclusively or jointly with the Member States?

Reply

(17 November 2003)

The Council is not competent to reply to the question asked by the Honourable Member. It will be for the
Intergovernmental Conference on the revision of the Treaties, which is due to meet in October 2003, to
decide on this question if need be.