European Parliament resolution on accelerating the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting
Date: 2005-11-16
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU Member State, broadcasting, communications policy, digital technology, technological change

18.11.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 280 E/115

Wednesday 16 November 2005

Russia would fall under the external policies of the EU; welcomes the fact that the agreement with Moscow
on the roadmaps covering each of the Four Common Spaces provides for an updated framework for the
relationship between the EU and Russia; underlines that the Northern Dimension will reflect the regional
aspect of those spaces; emphasises the fact that this process needs to be carried out in real cooperation with
Russia;

6.
Calls for improved coordination between the EU, the Arctic Council, the Council of the Baltic Sea
States, the Nordic Council, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council and other bodies involved in cooperation in
the northern regions; notes that the Commission should be more active in participating in their meetings;

7.
Supports the Council and Commission in their efforts to involve Russia in the Northern Dimension
policies, but stresses that the EU strategy on Russia should be implemented in full solidarity among all
Member States, while pointing out the need to fully engage with other neighbours in the north, notably
Norway and Iceland,
in particular in the areas of maritime development and energy; welcomes in this
context the White Paper on the High North published by the Norwegian Government;

8.
Recalls that big infrastructure projects in the field of energy and transportation in the Baltic region
should take into account legitimate safety concerns of the Member States as well as their environmental
impact;

9.
Reminds the Commission of the forthcoming International Polar Year 2007-2008, and calls on the
Commission to use that opportunity to take new initiatives together with the Arctic partners, including
Canada and the United States, in particular as regards the work on a ‘Charter for Arctic Governance’;

10.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of
the Member States, Norway, Iceland, Russia, Canada and the United States and the regional cooperation
partners.

P6_TA(2005)0431

Digital switchover

European Parliament resolution on accelerating the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament,
the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on accelerating the
transition from analogue to digital broadcasting (COM(2005)0204),

— having regard to the opinion of the Radio Spectrum Policy Group on spectrum implications of swit-

chover to digital broadcasting of 19 November 2004 (RSPG04-55 rev.),

— having regard to the switchover plans of the Member States that were published within the framework

of the eEurope 2005 action plan (1),

— having regard to recent studies commissioned by the Commission on spectrum management in the

field of broadcasting and on public policy treatment of digital terrestrial television (2),

(1) http://europa.eu.int/information_society/policy/ecomm/todays_framework/digital_broadcasting/switchover/

national_swo_plans/index_en.htm

(2) Study on spectrum management in the field of broadcasting — Implications of digital switchover for spectrum
management; by Aegis Systems Ltd, Independent Consulting Ltd and IDATE; June 2004; Public policy treatment of
digital terrestrial television (DTT) in communications markets; by Analysys Limited, Hogan & Hartson and Aleph;
26 August 2005. http://europa.eu.int/information_society/policy/ecomm/info_centre/documentation/studies_ext_con-
sult/index_en.htm

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Wednesday 16 November 2005

— having regard to Directive 2002/21/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March
2002 on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services
(Framework Directive) (1),

— having regard to its resolution of 26 September 2002 on an EU action plan for the successful intro-

duction of digital television in Europe (2),

— having regard to Rules 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting will bring benefits at all levels, enabling as
it does new and improved broadcasting to be offered, permitting the release of several hundred mega-
hertz of prime spectrum, which could be reallocated for various purposes, and increasing market com-
petition and innovation,

B. whereas the United States plans to terminate terrestrial analogue broadcasting by 1 January 2009,
South Korea has announced that it will switch off terrestrial analogue broadcasting by the end of
2010, and Japan by 2011, and whereas it is crucial for the European Union not to lag behind its
main competitors,

C. whereas the Commission proposes the beginning of 2012 as a deadline for completing analogue
switch-off in all the Member States, but certain Member States have not yet announced their switchover
plans,

D. whereas the switchover process should be market-driven, but at the same time coordination by broad-

casters is needed, and clear public-policy action to coordinate broadcasters is also desirable,

E. whereas the Framework Directive enshrines the principle of technological neutrality, but does not pre-

clude taking proportionate steps to promote certain specific services where that is justified,

F. whereas the forthcoming Regional Radiocommunication Conference 2006 (RRC06) has been convened
to revise the Regional Agreement for the European Broadcasting Area, Stockholm, 1961, with a view to
harmonising that part of the Agreement which relates to the use of the frequency bands 174-230 MHz
and 470-862 MHz in the broadcasting service,

1.
Encourages those Member States that have not yet published their switchover plans to announce them
by the end of 2005, in order to give a clear signal and certainty to both consumers and broadcasters;
encourages the Member States to keep the period of simulcasting as short as possible in order to avoid
high broadcasting costs, a temporary aggravation of the problem of capacity scarcity and delay in the swit-
chover;

Calls on the Member States to ensure that policy interventions carried out to secure and accelerate

2.
digital switchover are transparent, justified, proportionate and non-discriminatory;

Calls on the Commission to lay down clearly defined policy objectives to ensure the deepest possible

3.
penetration of the new and innovative services;

Calls on the Commission to ensure that research and development is completed at an early stage in

4.
the interests of penetration, including that of the new non-broadcasting digital services;

5.
Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide for a sufficient level of harmonisation of
approaches and regulation regarding the spectrum dividend, particularly in order to be able to satisfy any
future demand for pan-European services;

Calls on the Commission to establish a European Digital Working Party within the existing structure
6.
(Communications Committee) with the task of coordinating the regulations, objectives, strategies and time-
tables of the Member States at Community level; considers that the European Digital Working Party should
regularly monitor the performance of the Member States concerning digital transition and arrange work-
shops where the Member States and other stakeholders can hold discussion panels and exchange views;
believes that the European Digital Working Party should also be responsible for assisting in harmonising
approaches to the spectrum dividend in order to ensure the future operation of pan-European services in all
Member States;

(1) OJ L 108, 24.4.2002, p. 33.
(2) OJ C 273 E, 14.11.2003, p. 311.

18.11.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Wednesday 16 November 2005

7.
Calls on the Commission to act to prevent the formation of vertical bottlenecks and horizontal mon-
opolies; calls on the Member States to subsidise — in accordance with Community law — digital TV
receivers (either set-top boxes or boxes integrated into TV sets) such as the Multimedia Home Platform
system, with an open API (Application Program Interface) to prevent the development of bottlenecks; calls
on the Member States to promote and develop interactive services in order to increase the level of digital
expertise and the competitiveness of European society, and jointly to promote technical broadcasting
measures with a view to filtering content that might impair the physical, mental or moral development of
minors;

Calls on the Commission to publish information on best practice with regard to financing aspects and

8.
to provide clear guidance on state aid and issues relating to competition law;

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to emphasise the great importance of ensuring ‘equi-
9.
table access’ to the spectrum dividend within the frame of the RRC06 negotiations, and to agree on a
common negotiating position to support the scenario based on the deadline of 2015 for the end of general
protection against interference by analogue channels transmitting from outside the European Union,
in
order to ensure undisturbed digital broadcasting as close as possible to 2012;

10.
In order to ensure that the digital divide in society is not exacerbated, calls on the Member States to
ensure as soon as possible that there are adequate provisions in place prior to the transition from analogue
to digital, including funding and intelligible information, which will mitigate the cost of conversion for those
in society who will have difficulty in procuring and financing the necessary replacement equipment;

11.
Calls on the Commission to ensure that, in regulating the digital transition, a clear distinction is made
between the regulation of transmission of electronic signals and infrastructure and the regulation of content
(including audiovisual content), and to ensure, in order to protect pluralism and diversity in the broadcasting
field, that the majority, or an appropriate part, of the new broadcasting possibilities and broadcasters do not
come under the exclusive control or decisive influence of multinational media undertakings; considers that
the various additional services transmitted alongside digital broadcasts on the same network should be
regulated by making a distinction appropriate to their nature: content services related to broadcasting,
other content services and services related to telecommunications;

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure full interoperability and technological

12.
neutrality in order to provide a level playing field for all operators and to boost European innovation;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the govern-

13.
ments of the Member States.

P6_TA(2005)0432

Decommissioning nuclear power plants

European Parliament resolution on the use of financial resources earmarked for the decommission-
ing of nuclear power plants (2005/2027(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Coun-
cil on the use of financial resources earmarked for the decommissioning of nuclear power plants (COM
(2004)0719),