Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-11-14-Speech-1-086"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20051114.14.1-086"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Ladies and gentlemen, the Commission has undertaken to accelerate the transition to digital broadcasting at EU level, and to structure this process in such a way that there is no distortion of competition. The aim is to switch off analogue signals by the beginning of 2012 at the latest, and to ensure that the spectrum released by this switch-off is used in such a way that society will derive the maximum possible benefits. Furthermore, the Commission aims to ensure that society can begin to use this spectrum for hybrid television and telecommunications services, or for services that are unrelated to radio or television broadcasting.
The transition to digital broadcasting is gathering pace in the European Union. Spain recently brought forward the date for switching off analogue terrestrial television signals by two years, from 2012 to 2010, while Germany has brought it forward by three years, from 2010 to 2007. Ten Member States have set a date of 2010 or earlier for switch-off, whereas a further 10 have set a date of 2012. Five Member States, as well as Bulgaria and Romania, have not yet decided on a date for switch-off, and Poland, Ireland and Bulgaria have now indicated that they may find it difficult to achieve switch-off in 2012. On the basis of this information, the Commission expects that transition in the European Union as a whole should be well underway by the beginning of 2010, and that the overwhelming majority of Member States should have switched off analogue terrestrial television signals by 2012.
With regard to the prevention of interference from analogue systems based outside Europe, the Commission is in favour of reaching an international agreement to abolish legal protection for use of the analogue broadcasting spectrum by 2015. Such prompt action should encourage countries that do not belong to the European Union either to switch off their analogue systems or, at the very least, to re-open negotiations with neighbouring EU Member States in order to keep interference with digital systems to a minimum.
The international community’s future approach to planning should ensure that new broadcasting and non-broadcasting services can operate in the same bands. From the outset, the Commission has called for maximum technical flexibility, and for consideration to be given to the possibility of making part of any spectrum dividend available on a pan-European basis for future innovative services.
Europe lends its full backing to research and development through its IST Framework Programmes, which fund research into new supporting technologies that will facilitate the implementation of convergence services. To cite but one example of a newly implemented service, the Community has funded a number of research and development projects on interactive television. The latter has been used as a basis for providing e-government information services to Italian citizens. Furthermore, the development of digital radio came about thanks to a consortium set up under the aegis of an EU research programme. Digital radio signals can now broadcast in all analogue spectrum bands, and several digital stations can be broadcast in hi-fi quality in the same spectrum that was previously used for one analogue station.
If I may, I should like to comment briefly on the motion for a resolution. The Commission welcomes the fact that Parliament is in favour of accelerating the transition and setting the beginning of 2012 as the date by which analogue broadcasts should have been switched off in all Member States, as proposed by the Commission. In view of the fact that you are adopting this resolution today, I cannot now respond directly to all the issues dealt with in detail in this extensive document. The European Commission will give careful consideration to the scope of its competence with regard to policy formulation on new and innovative services that will be operated in the spectrum bands originally used for analogue services. At present, the majority of highly innovative services in this field are still at the research and development stage, and as such are supported through the Commission’s research programmes. In the long term, there will be a considerable need for assessments of the technical and commercial viability of these services.
Spectrum-related issues will be a major focus of the Commission’s work in this field. Such issues will also be the subject of thorough debate with the Member States as part of the ongoing work of the Communications Committee, its sub-groups for radio and television broadcasting, the Radio Spectrum Committee and the Radio Spectrum Policy Group. Problems relating to vertical integration and significant market power are dealt with under the regulatory framework. The wholesale market for the transmission of radio and television signals has been translated into a list of relevant markets, and appropriate regulatory measures are being taken to address SMP problems.
The Commission is currently drafting a communication on the interoperability of interactive television, which it intends to adopt by the end of the year. Within the framework of its decisions on state subsidies, the Commission also issues guidelines on certain aspects of the funding of the transition to digital broadcasting. EU legislation makes a clear distinction between the regulation of electronic transmissions and the regulation of their content. Parliament believes that this clear distinction should be maintained, and the Commission considers this approach to be extremely helpful."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples