Activity Details (ID# 14082)

Activity Synopsis

. Revision of the Group terms of reference for the next two years (2007-2008);

. examination of a draft Declaration regarding media ownership concentration and democracy;

. examination of a draft Recommendation updating Recommendations No. R (94) 13 on measures to promote media transparency and No. R (99) 1 on measures to promote media pluralism;

. possible setting-up of a network of experts on media diversity: examination of a proposal to be submitted to the CDMC;

. examination of replies to the questionnaire on the implementation by member states of Recommendation (2003) 9 of the Committee of Ministers on measures to promote the democratic and social contribution of digital broadcasting and state of progress of the Compendium of good practices;

. the Group's work relating to the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions.
 

. agreed that it needs to keep working on the proposed network of experts on media diversity and on how to set it up and more generally agreed that the MC-S-MD should work on the role of the media in promoting social cohesion; instructed the Secretariat to transmit the revised draft terms of references to the Bureau of the CDMC;

. examined the preliminary draft Declaration on the potential risks of media concentration to democracy and to democratic processes, as contained in document MC-S-MD(2006)008. The group supported the draft as a whole and after some debate considered that the draft declaration should make referenced to the role of the media in social cohesion;

. resumed its examination of the draft Recommendation on media diversity updating Recommendations No. R (94) 13 and No. R (99) 1, and following two amendments, agreed that the text be transmitted to the Bureau of the CDMC;

. discussed improvements to the proposal of the possibility of setting-up a network of experts on media diversity and agreed that some experts would send their contributions with a view to revising the document before the Bureau of the CDMC's next meeting;

. heard a succinct presentation of document MC-S-MD(2006)005rev, and was informed that its proposal of drawing up a kind of compendium of existing good practices in member states regarding two particular subjects addressed in the recommendation (''preparation of the public for the new digital environment'' and ''adaptation of the public service remit to the digital environment''), had been presented to the Bureau of the CDMC at its meeting on 12 and 13 April 2006;

. noted that neither the Secretariat nor the select working group made up of the experts from Romania, France, Belgium and the European Union observer expert had been able to work on the role of independent production in promoting diversity, particularly the diversity of cultural expressions; reasserted its interest in the work of the Group relating to the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions and decided to include in its draft terms of reference; proposed carrying out a study on the importance of independent productions for media pluralism and for social cohesion, and on the identification of support measures suited to independent producers;
 

A follow-up is necessary. The next meeting will be held in Strasbourg 4 and 5 April 2007. 

Experts from Council of Europe member states involved in media, culture and communication (most of them are civil servants from different ministries).

Observers: European Commission, Holy See, European Broadcasting Union, Association of Commercial Television in Europe, European Federation of Journalists, European Newspaper Publishers' Association.
 

Mr Jan KLEIJSSEN, Director, Directorate 2, Directorate General of Human Rights
Mr Jan MALINOWSKI, Head of the Media Division, Directorate General of Human Rights - DG II
Ms Charlotte de BROUTELLES, Secretary to the MM-S-MD, Administrative Officer, Media Division, Directorate General of Human Rights - DG II