EPC media alerts: April 2009
Your monthly EU media issues update direct from Europe's leading publishers
The following document is a regularly updated schedule of EU Media issues of interest to the EPC in order to give advance warning to journalists covering EU media issues. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information: heidilambert@hlcltd.demon.co.uk.
Key issues for 2009
State aid to public broadcasters
Copyright
Car advertising
Media pluralism
Content online/copyright management
Media literacy
Data privacy
Alcohol and food advertising
Gender stereotyping
VAT
Telecoms Package
ROME II
Market Abuse
Dates for the diary
Early 2009 - Media pluralism
Early 2009 - Media literacy
Beginning - 2009 State aid and public service broadcasters
5 February - Competition
10 February - Internet safety
16-18 February - Telecoms
17 February - Digital libraries
Spring 2009 - Telecoms
March - VAT
March 5 - State aid and public service broadcasters
19-20 March - Copyright
26-27 March - European Year of Creativity and Innovation
April - Content online
19-21 April - Internet safety
11-13 May - Internet
July 2009 - Work plan for culture 2008-2010
Second half 2009 - Study on access of young people
Summer/Early Autumn - Copyright
More detail
Early 2009 - Media pluralism
Commission Communication on media pluralism indicators expected soon with stakeholder conference 8 or 9 June Brussels.
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media_taskforce/pluralism/index_en.htm
Early 2009 - Media literacy
Recommendation from European Commission expected.
10 April 2009 - Internet
Child Protection on the Internet, Czech Presidency conference, Prague.
16-23 April - New technologies
Conference "Future and Emerging Technologies" - FET09.
http://www.eu2009.cz/event/1/467
19-21 April - Internet safety
Ministerial conference on safer internet for children. More info: http://eu2009.cz/event/1/473.
22 April - Telecoms
European Parliament plenary Second Reading vote on Electronic communications: common regulatory framework for networks and services, access, interconnection and authorisation and Creation of the European Electronic Communications Market Authority.
23-24 April - Copyright
Conference Future of Intellectual Property, Brussels.
30 April - Advertising
European Alcohol and Health Forum - Open Forum. EPC invited to participate in the "Roundtable on marketing communication and the role of the media".
4 May - Copyright
European Parliament Plenary First Reading vote on the report for extending the "Term of protection of copyright and related rights".
4 May - Advertising
First Reading vote on the report "Energy-related products: indication of the consumption of energy".
Specific interest: the provisions related to advertising and commercial communications.
11-13 May - Internet
Event on Future of the Internet: http://eu2009.cz/event/1/2434.
26 May - Digital libraries
Conference dedicated to the European Digital Library: http://eu2009.cz/event/1/1070.
28-29 May - New Media
1st Council of Europe Ministerial Conference on the Media and New Communication Services, Reykjavik, Iceland.
4-7 June 2009 - European Parliament elections
European Parliament elections.
8 or 9 June - Media pluralism
Stakeholder conference in Brussels.
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media_taskforce/pluralism/index_en.htm
July 2009 - Copyright
Proposals following Green paper on copyright in the knowledge economy consultation.
July 2009 - Work plan for culture 2008-2010
In this work plan, the Council calls for the establishment of working groups composed of experts from Member States to invite each Presidency to build on the achievements of the Work Plan as well as to report on the implementation of the latter; to invite the Member States and the Commission to regularly consult the stakeholders regarding the implementation of the Work Plan to ensure the relevance and visibility of the activities; to invite the Commission, in consultation with and on the basis of voluntary contributions from Member States, to report on developments both at mid-term and at the end of the period covered by the Work Plan.
Each Member State interested in participating in the work of the working groups will nominate an expert as a member of a working group. The expert should ideally have a mix of operational and policy experience in the relevant field at a national level. Member States can invite other experts or officials to attend the meetings of the working groups as observers. The working groups will submit a mid-term report by July 2009 on the work carried out thus far, which will feed into the final report on the implementation of the Council Work Plan for Culture 2008 - 2010.
The Working Plan's priorities are
- to improve the conditions for the mobility of artists and other professionals in the cultural field;
- to promote access to culture, in particular through the promotion of cultural heritage, multilingualism, digitisation, cultural tourism, synergies with education, especially art education, and greater mobility of collections;
- to develop data, statistics and methodologies in the cultural sector and improve their comparability;
- to maximise the potential of cultural and creative industries, in particular that of SMEs; (this will involve several studies and a Green Paper on cultural and creative industries);
- to promote and implement the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
For each of the above priorities there are specific actions provisioned, both for the Commission and the Member States with specific timetable and objectives. Cultural education in schools will be of interest as it gives space to mention copyright and respect for IPR.
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/08/st09/st09018.en08.pdf
Second half 2009 - Study on access of young people to culture
This study will seek to identify obstacles to the access of young people to culture as well as good practices in making this access easier.
Second half 2009 - Copyright
Commission Communication (second) on Creative Content on line.
Late 2009 - Media literacy
Recommendation from European Commission expected.
For more information please contact
Angela Mills Wade, EPC Executive Director on Tel: +44 1865 310 732 or
Heidi Lambert
on Tel: +44 1245 476 265 or visit www.epceurope.org.
