EC to create European audiovisual media regulators group

The European Commission has formally established a new group of EU regulatory authorities covering audiovisual services. 

The group brings together he heads or high-level executives of national independent regulators bodes to advise the Commission on how to implement its Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

According to the EC, the new body will help determine how to meet the challenge of convergence and is designed to foster closer and more regular cooperation between member states’ own regulatory bodes and the Commission.

The European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services will advise and assist the Commission in its work to ensure consistent implementation of the directive and other related fields in which the Commission can act. It will facilitate cooperation between regulatory bodies in the EU, and will also allow for an exchange of experience and good practice, according to the EC.

The new body will meet for the first time on March 4, when it will elect a chair.

The Commission said that the formalisation of cooperation between national regulators had been a recommendation of the report by the High Level Group on Media Freedom and Pluralism in 2013 and had also been supported by respondents to a public consultation on the independence of audiovisual regulatory bodes.

“This group is a win-win outcome for audiovisual regulators and for the Commission: their independence is strengthened and everyone will work better together at a crucial time when we will be reviewing EU audiovisual rules in 2015,” said EC vice-president Neelie Kroes.