The opening session of the two day EBU winter General Assembly – attended by Europe's leading public service media (PSM) – is underway in Geneva.   

In his report to the Assembly, President Jean-Paul Philippot said the Executive Board  had actively pursued on behalf of EBU Members matters 'determinant for the future of the Union.'

These include landmark stages reached for two key projects: a PSM Values Review, based on the Declaration on Public Service Media Values adopted at the 2012 summer EBU General Assembly in Strasbourg, which Mr Philippot said reflects the 'cultural and organisational specificity of each EBU Member,' and recommendations arising from the VISION2020 exercise, tasked with identifying the main trends and key challenges facing the EBU Community.

Presentations on both topics will be made to the assembly by project leaders Hans Laroes and Ruurd Bierman.  Mr Philippot said both projects would to a large extent, define the future strategy of the EBU as an organisation.   

The EBU's strategic objectives for the next three years were presented by EBU Director General Ingrid Deltenre. Ms Deltenre said revenue and political interference formed part of the daily challenges of public service media life. Within this context, she said "creating attractive content and services for a fragmented audience remained a colossal task."

Ms Deltenre said that to ease the load, the EBU remained committed to providing Members with the best possible services, as well as the optimum framework in which to work. This included the delivery of the major sports and news events of 2014; a modernized programme exchange promising fresh fiction and topical documentaries with a special focus on co-productions in a year marked by World War I commemorations and the European elections; a new network infrastructure to improve opportunities for exchange and updated financial tools and streamlined internal processes.

Ms Deltenre also pledged to 'continue to defend and promote the values of public service media through the EBU Partnership Programme and by working with partners and stakeholders to increase our impact.'

"Much has changed," she said, "but our objective remains the same – to achieve the best possible legal and technical framework for our Members as we step with confidence into a new year."

The GA will also fill two vacancies of the eleven Member Executive Board for the remainder of the 2013-2014 term.