Decision No 2239/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2004 amending Council Decision 1999/784/EC concerning Community participation in the European Audiovisual Observatory
Date: 2004-11-17
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: EU office or agency, audiovisual communications policy

31.12.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 390/1

I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

DECISION No 2239/2004/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 17 November 2004

amending Council Decision 1999/784/EC concerning Community participation in the European
Audiovisual Observatory

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EURO-
PEAN UNION,

(3)

Although free movement of persons, goods and services
is enshrined in the Treaty, the lack of information on
the many differences in national regulations in the fields
of fiscal and labour law acts as an obstacle to the free
movement of audiovisual goods and services. The Obser-
vatory could offer a positive contribution by collecting
and providing expertise and systematic information in
the fields of
law, copyright and
consumer protection law.

fiscal and labour

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity, and in particular Article 157(3) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and
Social Committee (2),

After consulting the Committee of the Regions,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty (3),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

In Decision 1999/784/EC (4) the Council decided that
the Community should become a member of the Euro-
pean Audiovisual Observatory (hereinafter ‘the Observa-
tory’) in order to support the latter's activity. The Obser-
vatory contributes to strengthening the competitiveness
of the Community's audiovisual industry by improving
the transfer of information to the industry, in particular
to small and medium-sized enterprises, and promoting a
clearer view of the market.

Multimedia and the new technologies will play an ever
greater role in the audiovisual sector. The Observatory
could continue to play its important role if its capacity
to follow these new developments were strengthened in
due course.

(1) OJ C 98, 23.4.2004, p. 34.
(2) OJ C 241, 28.9.2004, p. 15.
(3) Opinion of the European Parliament of 21 April 2004 (not yet
Journal) and Council Decision of 25

published in the Official
October 2004.

(4) OJ L 307, 2.12.1999, p. 61.

(4)

to the European Parliament's

Further
resolution of
4 September 2003 on Television without Frontiers,
which called for an annual benchmarking report on
making digital TV accessible for people with disabilities,
the Observatory should be invited to collect data on an
annual basis on the levels of television services provided
in all Member States of the European Union or of the
Council of Europe to assist disabled people, such as
subtitling, audio description and sign language.

(5)

Community participation in the Observatory has proved
effective in supporting the latter's activity.

(6)

It is appropriate to continue such participation during
the period necessary for the Observatory to adopt guide-
lines for its future activity, from 2006 onwards.

(7)

Decision 1999/784/EC should therefore be amended
accordingly,

L 390/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

31.12.2004

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 5 of Decision 1999/784/EC shall be replaced by the following:

Sole Article

‘Article 5

This Decision shall apply until the last day of the last month of the seventh year following the year of
its adoption.’

Done at Strasbourg, 17 November 2004.

For the European Parliament

The President

J. BORRELL FONTELLES

For the Council

The President

A. NICOLAÏ