(08/05/07) EP gaat akkoord met onderbreking nieuwsprogramma’s voor reclame

• 2007-05-08

Vandaag heeft Cultuurcommissie van het Europees Parlement ingestemd met een voorstel van de Raad mbt. de herziening van de richtlijn Televisie zonder Grenzen. Hoewel er enkele goede elementen in het voorstel zitten (deontologische code voor advertenties voor junkfood, regels mbt. vrijheid van meningsuiting en discriminatie in reclame, …) valt toch vooral op dat de EP-leden akkoord gaan met veel ruimere reclameregels dan de bestaand. Zo zullen bv. nieuws- en kinderprogramma’s onderbroken mogen worden door reclame, mogen langspeelfilms om het half uur worden onderbroken en komt er een regeling voor product placement. Dit soort maatregelen gaat lijnrecht in tegen de UNESCO-conventie over culturele diversiteit, die ook door de EU wordt onderschreven.

De Europese Groenen betreuren deze Amerikaanse visie op adverteren en zullen doen wat binnen hun mogelijkheden ligt om het voorstel te verbeteren tijdens de bespreking en de stemming in de plenaire vergadering.

TV without Frontiers revision:
European audiovisual media to fall victim to American-style advertising and product placement

The European Parliament Culture Committee today decided to support a compromise (second reading), agreed between the rapporteur and the Council, on the revision of the TV without Frontiers Directive (Audiovisual Media Services Directive), despite opposition from the Greens/EFA group. Based on this decision, the Culture Committee will vote to support the Common Position of the Council, which is set to be adopted at the Culture Council on 24 May. Commenting on the decision German Green MEP and shadow rapporteur Helga Trüpel said:

"Audiovisual media across Europe will fall victim to American-style advertising and product placement, following an agreement between the European Parliament Culture Committee and the Council. We strongly criticise the procedure used by the rapporteur to fast track this back door agreement, which undermines the democratic role of the Parliament in the decision-making process.

"Under the compromise, EU audiovisual media will be exposed to much more pervasive advertising than ever before. No programmes will be spared with all forms of broadcast - from news broadcasts to films to children's programmes - to be overrun by advertising. A 90 minute televised film, for example, could be interrupted by up to 12 minutes of advertising under the new rules, with ad breaks every 30 minutes, as opposed to the current 45 minutes.

"The introduction of a legal framework for product placement for the first time means there will be no escaping the creeping commercial incursion into private life. It goes completely against the principles of the UNESCO convention on cultural diversity that the European Union strongly supports and so do the Greens. Therefore, we will continue to try and convince MEPs not to endorse this regrettable compromise in plenary.

"There are also some positive developments in the compromise, with the inclusion of the EP proposal for a legal base for access for the disabled people, as well as for a code of conduct on junk food advertising. In addition, Member States will have to set up a regulatory body and respect for freedom of expression as far as discrimination in advertising is concerned."