EBU President Jean-Paul Philippot addresses the 72nd General Assembly (EBU/Stefano Santucci)

The EBU's 72nd General Assembly has begun in Naples, Italy. The two-day event, attended by more than 180 public service media executives, provides a forum for discussion among EBU Members.

Delegates were welcomed by Anna-Maria Tarantola, President of Italian EBU Member RAI, who stressed the importance of public service media (PSM) in helping to build a more democratic and economically sound society. She also stressed the enormous responsibility public service media have in providing quality content.

Highlights of the first morning's session included the presidential report and the presentation of financial results, plus reports from Executive Board members.

EBU President Jean-Paul Philippot officially opened the Assembly. In his report, he said that the EBU's Executive Board had placed enormous focus in the last six months on developing a common strategy for the future of the EBU with the Vision2020 project.

He stressed that this is only the second step in the process, with the third step to be completed by the winter General Assembly in December, where major decisions will be taken for the organization’s future. He also urged Members, during the Assembly, to make use of the detailed information from the first phase of the Vision2020 project, now published in a report available on the EBU website and a new app.

The President went on to emphasize how promoting the EBU's PSM Values was also key in addressing the shared challenges public broadcasters face. "We firmly believe that Members have a greater need for the EBU than ever before," said Mr Philippot.

"As events in Greece demonstrated, PSM and EBU Members need a strong voice to represent and defend their interests. The EBU reacted promptly and effectively to this crisis thanks to the active support from Members, and their commitment in this affair demonstrated that the EBU has unexploited potential when Members become more actively engaged."

The President highlighted the promotion of distinctiveness as a key aspect of PSM Values. He outlined that this is inextricably linked to the EBU’s lobbying activities, which remain a priority. "The Values process provides us with a valuable shield to protect us and promote our cohesion in the face of global competitors with financial resources that far exceed our own," Mr Philippot argued.

Finally, Jean-Paul Philippot recognized that the Board was aware of the financial pressures faced by Members and has maintained a very careful and prudent approach with regard to the organization’s financial resources.