The European Parliament has singled out several important policy requirements ranging from spectrum to copyright policy in a Report on the EU Digital Single Market adopted today in Strasbourg.

EBU Head of European Affairs Nicola Frank said: “The European Parliament’s report has identified several areas where the European legal framework for media and the Internet can be improved. At the same time, the Parliament asks to maintain some well-established rules which work effectively in practice, like the ‘country-of-origin’ principle in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, or the importance of territorial licensing.”

“We will be closely following how the European Commission follows up on these proposals, in particular the revision of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, the further assessment of the 1993 Satellite and Cable Directive to improve cross-border access to legal online content and services, and the elaboration of a long-term strategy for radio spectrum based on the conclusions by Pascal Lamy.”

The report by MEPs Kaja Kallas (ALDE, Estonia) and Evelyne Gebhardt (S&D, Austria) was adopted by large majority: 551 votes in favour, 88 against and 39 abstentions. It addresses a very broad number of subjects about creating a single market for the EU’s digital economy, ranging from e-commerce to digitalizing the energy sector. However the future of the media is one of the predominant subjects addressed by Members of the European Parliament.

It includes a section entitled “A media framework for the 21st century”, to which the European Parliament’s Culture Committee (CULT) made a significant contribution. Among other issues, the section mentions that the ‘country of origin’ principle enshrined in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive is a prerequisite for the provision of audiovisual content across borders. It also recognises that the extension of the Satellite and Cable Directive’s scope could improve cross-border access to legal online content.

In its Opinion, the CULT Committee had also flagged up the importance of lists of major sports and entertainment events which should be available on free-to-air television as a matter of general interest, as well as the need to safeguard the integrity of digital content.

A preliminary version of the final report will be available here on the European parliament’s website.