EU: Compromise on TWF Directive

On 16 April the Conciliation Committee achieved a compromise on the amendments proposed by the European Parliament in its second reading of the Television Without Frontiers (TWF) Directive (89/552). The most significant referred to two key topics: the requirement for public broadcasters in the EU to guarantee access to the public to major sports events; and the installation of the so-called V-chip electronic filtering device to all new television sets.

The Conciliation Committee agreed that:

• Each MS will be required to provide a list of those sports events for which public broadcasting access must be provided. The list will be added as an annex to the TWF Directive. Under the principle of mutual recognition, all other MS must recognise and accept that MS have the right freely to transmit the programme or event concerned and identified on the list.
• The V-Chip proposal will not be included in the Directive.
• The flexible quota system for European content requirements will be retained, but will be re-examined after five years.

It is expected that the TWF Directive will be adopted at the Culture Council in June.