Council of Europe

• Council of Europe
• Human Rights and Rule of Law
• Media

Item 1 of the agenda: Opening of the meeting and adoption of the agenda

1. The meeting was opened by Mr Patrick Segalla (Austria), Chair of the MC-S-PSM, who welcomed the participants. The secretariat provided some general information on the draft agenda and the working documents, as well as the purpose of the meeting.

2. The list of participants is set out in Appendix I. The agenda, as adopted, is set out in Appendix II; the working documents are listed in the annotated agenda; (cf. document MC-S-PSM(2008)OJ2Notes_rev).

Items 2 and 3 of the agenda: Decisions of the Steering Committee on the Media and New Communication Services (CDMC) of interest to the work of the MC-S-PSM; other information of relevance to the work of the MC-S-PSM

3. The Chair of the group reported on his participation in the 7th meeting of the CDMC which took place in Vienna, 27 to 30 May 2008. In particular, he referred to discussions relating to MC-S-PSM work; he indicated that the Steering Committee considered it important to continue following activities related to public service media after the Ministerial Conference in Reykjavik.

4. The secretariat gave a brief report on the progress made on the “Living together” project (on-line and paper publication concerning the media’s contribution to intercultural dialogue, understanding, tolerance and social cohesion). He referred to the working group meeting held on 6 and 7 May this year to establish the content of the publication, working methods and set-up a work time-line. It is planned that the text will be ready to publish in January 2009 and will be available during the Ministerial Conference in Reykjavik.

Item 4 of the agenda: Examination of how member states ensure the legal, financial, technical and other appropriate conditions required to enable public service media to discharge their remit - examination of a draft report on this matter

5. The Chair of the group presented a draft report on how member states ensure the legal, financial, technical and other appropriate conditions required to enable public service media to discharge their remit. He referred to the structure of the document and sources of the information, notably, the Compilation of responses to the questionnaire on the appropriate conditions required for public service media to fulfil their remit (cf. document MC-S-PSM(2007)005rev) and replies to the Questionnaire on transparency and accountability of public service media.

6. Then the various contributors (Austria, Switzerland and the EBU) each briefly presented their part, concerning respectively the legal definition of the remit of public service media, the financial and technical aspects, transparency and responsibility for PSM and the practical implementation of the public service remit.

7. Following a general debate on the draft report, the MC-S-PSM examined the text in more detail, making several amendments (cf. document MC-S-PSM(2008)004rev – the draft report as amended by the group). 

Item 5 of the agenda: Examination of strategies of public service media in view of promoting a wider democratic participation of individuals - examination of a draft report on this matter

8. The Chair and the secretariat presented the draft report on the Good practices for public service media in the promotion of a wider democratic participation of individuals. The presentation covered the structure and content, as well as indicating sources of information, such as the Report on the role of PSM for widening individual participation, prepared by Mr Greg Lowe, Council of Europe consultant (cf. document H/Inf (2008) 12), the report on this subject prepared by European Institute for the Media Law (EMR) and the information provided by the EBU. It was agreed that in the electronic version of this document, the links to Mr Lowe’s and the EMR’s reports should be made available.

9. The MC-S-PSM then examined the text in more detail and made a certain number of amendments (cf. document MC-S-PSM(2008)005rev - the draft report as amended by the group). 

Item 6 of the agenda : Examination of the Contribution of public service media in promoting social cohesion and the promotion of a culture of tolerance – examination of a draft report on this matter

10. The Vice-Chair of the group presented a draft report on the Contribution of public service media in promoting social cohesion and the promotion of a culture of tolerance. He presented the structure and content, as well as sources of information, notably, the Compilation of responses to the questionnaire on the contribution of public service media to the promotion of a culture of tolerance (cf. document MC-S-PSM(2007)006rev) and the report on Contribution of PSM to social cohesion and to the promotion of a culture of tolerance, prepared by the European Institute for the Media Law (EMR).

11. As in the case of the two other above-mentioned reports (see items 4 and 5), it was agreed that the electronic version of the document, should retain hyperlinks to important information documents, such as the EMR report. The MC-S-PSM then examined the text in more detail and made a certain number of amendments (cf. document MC-S-PSM(2008)006rev – the draft report as amended by the group). 

Item 7 of the agenda: CDMC work beyond 2008 - examination of proposals for subject areas and working structures as well as for draft decisions of the Conference on the Media and New Communication Services of member states of the Council of Europe, 28 and 29 May 2009, Reykjavik (Iceland)

12. The members of the group examined the draft programme of the Ministerial Conference which will take place in Reykjavik in 2009. They then discussed the group’s possible work beyond 2008, in relation with the draft agenda of the Conference. The secretariat presented a list of subjects for the possible renewal of the group’s terms of reference and a possible debate during the Reykjavik Conference. After some modifications the members of the group agreed with the list of subjects (cf. document MC-S-PSM(2008)007).

Item 8 of the agenda: Other business

13. None

Appendix / Annexe I

List of participants /Liste des participants

I. MEMBER STATES/ETATS MEMBRES

Armenia/Arménie

Austria/Autriche

Mr Patrick SEGALLA, Austrian Federal Chancellery, Legal Expert, Department for Media Affairs, Coordination Information Society

Azerbaijan/Azerbaïdjan
<Apologised/Excusée>
Mr Tahir MAMMADOV, Head of Public Relations and Monitoring Department, Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Company

Ms Jeyran AMIRASLANOVA, Relations with International Organisations, Office of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Belgium/Belgique

Flemish community
<Apologised/Excusée>
Mr Koen DESMARETZ, Adjunct to the Director, Department of Culture, Youth, Sport and Media

French community
<Apologised/Excusée>
Mr Thibault MULATIN, Chargé de mission, Service Général de l'Audiovisuel et des Multimédias, Ministère de la Communauté française de Belgique

Bulgaria/Bulgarie

Mrs Albena MILANOVA, Director of International Relations Department, Bulgarian National Radio

Cyprus/Chypre
<Apologised/Excusée>
Mr Andreas CHRISTODOULOU, Head of Media Section, Ministry of Interior

Czech Republic/République Tchèque

Miss Irena ZACHARDOVÁ, Expert and Lawyer, Media and Audiovisual Department, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic

Denmark/Danemark

Ms Pernille RAHBEK, Danish Ministry of Culture

Estonia/Estonie
<Apologised/Excusée>
Mr Hagi SHEIN, Professor, Head of Academic Affairs, Deputy Director, Tallinn University

Germany/Allemagne
<Apologised/Excusée>
Mr Martin BUDSINOWKI, Legal expert, Federal Government, Commission for Culture and the Media

Dr Philipp STIEL, Head of Unit, Vertretung des Freistaats Bayern bei der Europäischen Union

Greece/Grèce

Mme Maria GIANNAKAKI, Attachée de Presse, Représentation Permanente de la Grèce auprès du Conseil de l'Europe, Bureau de Presse et Communication

Hungary/Hongrie

Mr Márk LENGYEL, External advisor, Prime Minister's office, Attorney of law

Iceland/Islande
<Apologised/Excusée>
Mr Bjarni GUODMUNDSSON, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service

Ireland/Irlande

Mr Joe MELEADY, Broadcasting Policy Division, Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources

Italy/Italie
<Apologised/Excusée>
Ms Daniela ESPOSITO VEZZOLER, Responsible for the Audiovisual - International Relations Office, I'Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni

Poland/Pologne

Mr Wojciech KOłODZIEJCZYK, Chief Specialist in the Legal Department, Office of the National Broadcasting Council

Portugal

Ms Marta CARVALHO, Legal adviser, ERC, Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social

Russian Federation/Fédération de Russie
<Apologised/Excusée>
Mr Armen OGANESYAN, Chairman, “Voice of Russia”, National Radio Company

Slovakia/Slovaquie

Slovenia/Slovénie
<Apologised/Excusée>
Mr Skender ADEM, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Culture of Republic of Slovenia, Media Directorate

Switzerland/Suisse

M. Gian-Luca MARSELLA, Juriste des médias, Office fédéral de la communication OFCOM

Turkey/Turquie

Mr Irfan Dündar ERENTURK, Expert, Regulatory body, Radio and Television Supreme Council

Ms Nihan UNAY, Deputy Secretary General, Turkish Radio and Television Corporation

United Kingdom/Royaume-Uni

Mr Karl JAGDIS, Project Manager, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

II. OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe/Assemblée Parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe/Congrès des Pouvoirs Locaux et Régionaux du Conseil de l’Europe

European Audiovisual Observatory/Observatoire européen de l’Audiovisuel

Bureau of the CDMC

European Commission/Commission européenne

Dr Anne HEROLD, Policy Officer, Directorate General for Information Society and Media

III. OSERVERS WITH THE MC-S-PSM/OBSERVATEURS AU SEIN DU MC-S-PSM

European Broadcasting Union (EBU)/Union européenne de radio-television (UER)

Mr Michael WAGNER, Deputy Director of the Legal and Public Affairs Department

Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT) / Association des Télévisions Commerciales Européennes (ATC)

The European Association for Viewers Interests (EAVI)

Mr Paolo CELOT, Secretary General, Rond-Point Schuman

European Federation of Journalists / Fédération européenne des Journalistes

Article 19
<Apologised/Excusée>

IV. OBSERVERS/OBSERVATEURS

Holy See/Saint-Siège

Mr Michael LUKAS, Spokesman, Bischöfliche Pressestelle

Canada

Japan/Japon

V. INVITED

DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS DG-HL /
DIRECTION GENERALE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME ET DES AFFAIRES JURIDIQUES -
DG-HL

VI. SECRETARIAT

Mr Eugen CIBOTARU, Administrator, Media Division / Administrateur, Division Médias

Mrs Victoria LEE, Assistant, Media Division / Assistante, Division Médias

VII. INTERPRETERS/INTEPRETES

Ms Sylvie BOUX
Mr Robert SZYMANSKI
Mr Rémy JAIN

Appendix / Annexe II

Agenda / Ordre du jour

1. Opening of the meeting and adoption of the agenda

2. Decisions of the Steering Committee on the Media and New Communication Services (CDMC) of interest to the work of the MC-S-PSM

3. Other information of interest to the work of the MC-S-PSM

4. Examination of how member states ensure the legal, financial, technical and other appropriate conditions required to enable public service media to discharge their remit - examination of a draft report on this matter

5. Examination of strategies of public service media in view of promoting a wider democratic participation of individuals - examination of a draft report on this matter

6. Examination of the contribution of public service media in promoting social cohesion and integrating all communities and generations (implementation of the Committee of Ministers Recommendation Rec(97)21 on media and the promotion of a culture of tolerance) - examination of a draft report on this matter

7. CDMC work beyond 2008 - consideration of proposals for subject areas and working structures as well as for draft decisions of the Reykjavik Conference

8. Other business