Committee of Ministers

Comité des Ministres

Strasbourg, 25 November 1997

Restricted

CM(97)190

For consideration at the 613^th

Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies

(18-19 December 1997, A level, item 5.1)

STEERING COMMITTEE ON THE MASS MEDIA

(CDMM)

________

46th meeting, 28-31 October 1997

Meeting Room of the Directorate, Human Rights Building

Strasbourg

________

LIST OF DECISIONS

________

1. The Steering Committee on the Mass Media (CDMM) held its 46th meeting in the Human Rights Building, Strasbourg from 28 to 31 October 1997. The meeting was chaired by Mr B. MÖWES (Germany). The list of participants is set out in Appendix I. The agenda, as adopted, appears in Appendix II.

2. The CDMM continued the preparation of the 5th European Ministerial Conference on Mass Media Policy (Thessaloniki, 11-12 December 1997), in terms of both content and organisation. In particular, it finalised the draft political texts (a Declaration accompanied by an Action Plan and two Resolutions) to be submitted to the Conference for adoption. It also held an exchange of views on the reports which would be presented at the Conference, and took note of a number of written contributions prepared for that event.

3. The CDMM reviewed the work carried out by some of its subordinate bodies (MM-S-NT, MM-CM, MM-S-HR and MM-S-PR) and gave them guidelines for the follow-up of their work.

4. In this connection, the CDMM took note of the decisions affecting its area of responsibility taken at the 2nd Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe. The Committee of Ministers might wish to note that the CDMM is ready to follow up these decisions in the light of the orientations which might be given by the Committee of Ministers.

5. With regard to the Group of Specialists on media law and human rights (MM-S-HR), the CDMM agreed to draw the attention of the Committee of Ministers to its decision to admit the non-governmental organisation, Article 19, to the Group as an observer.

6. The CDMM also held an exchange of views on the criteria which should henceforth determine the composition of its subordinate bodies, and on the duration of their terms of reference.

7. The CDMM supported the conclusion that, with a view to optimum management of budgetary resources, the project for a database on national media law (MEDIALEX) should not be taken further, having regard to the difficulties encountered in implementing it and the limited prospects of its rapidly becoming operational. The CDMM nevertheless agreed that it would be appropriate to examine the possibility of finding an alternative solution outside the Council of Europe.

8. The CDMM took note of the progress made with the revision of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television. The Committee of Ministers might wish to note that this revision is expected to be completed in the months ahead.

9. The CDMM appointed a representative to the Group of Specialists on access to official information (DH-S-AC) which the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) has decided to set up in 1998, subject to the Committee of Ministers' approval.

10. The CDMM also adopted a preliminary list of its representatives to the Working Party which, subject to the Committee of Ministers' approval, would be established jointly by the CDMM and the CDCC to prepare an Additional Protocol to the draft European Convention on the Protection of the Audiovisual Heritage.

11. Finally, the CDMM held an exchange of views on recent developments concerning media law and policy in the member States and in other international fora, took note of the conclusions of the meeting of the Council of Europe-ECTO Liaison Bureau, fixed the dates of its meetings, as well as those of its subordinate bodies, in 1998 and finalised the list of items to be included on the agenda of its 47th meeting (10 December 1997).

APPENDIX I

List of participants

Albania/Albanie

Mr Sokol GJOKA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TIRANA

Andorra/Andorre [Excusé/apologised]

Austria/Autriche

Mr Andreas ULRICH, Bundeskanzleramt, WIEN

Belgium/Belgique

M. Dominique VOSTERS, Ministère de la Communauté française de Belgique, BRUXELLES; M. Michel HERCKENS, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, BRUXELLES; [Apologised/Excusé: M. Walter LEROUGE, Ministère de la Communauté Flamande, BRUXELLES]

Bulgaria/Bulgarie

M. Nicolas DICOV, Committee of Posts and Telecommunications, SOFIA; Mrs Bissera ZANKOVA, Committee of Posts and Telecommunications, SOFIA

Croatia/Croatie

Mme Daša BRADICIC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ZAGREB

Cyprus/Chypre

Mr Ioannis SOLOMOU, Ministry of Interior, NICOSIA

Czech Republic/République Tchèque

Ms Jaromíra MIZEROVÁ, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, PRAGUE; Mr Zdenek PRÍHODA, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, PRAGUE

Denmark/Danemark

Ms Suzanne HOVMAND, Ministry of Culture, COPENHAGEN; Ms Annette KORNERUP, Ministry of Culture, COPENHAGEN

Estonia/Estonie

Mr Rein VEIDEMANN, Ministry of Culture, TALLINN

Finland/Finlande

Ms Kristina HAUTALA-KAJOS, Ministry of Education, HELSINKI; Ms Maaret SUOMI, Ministry of Transport and Communications, HELSINKI

France

M. Laurent BURIN DES ROZIERS, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, PARIS; Mme Chantal FOURNIER, Service juridique et technique de l'information du Premier Ministre, PARIS; Mme Marie-Christine WELLHOFF, Ministère de la Culture, PARIS

Germany/Allemagne

Mr Bernd MÖWES, (Chairperson/Président) Bundeskanzleramt, BONN; Mr Frithjof BERGER, Federal Ministry of the Interior, BONN; Mr Mathias HARBORT, Federal Ministry of the Interior, BONN

Greece/Grèce

Mme Maria VLACHOU, Ministère de la Presse et des Media, ATHENES

Hungary/Hongrie

Mr Peter SZENTE, Ministry of Culture and Education, BUDAPEST

Iceland/Islande

Mr Pétur GUDFINNSSON, Director General of Icelandic State Broadcasting Service, REYKJAVIK

Ireland/Irlande

Mr Martin DENNANY, Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, DUBLIN

Italy/Italie

Mme Elisabetta BATTISTA, Présidence du Conseil des Ministres, ROME; Ms Alessandra PARADISI, RAI, ROME; Mr Giovanni BARONTINI, Tecnitel S.p.A., ROME

Latvia/Lettonie

Mr Andrejs PILDEGOVICS, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, RIGA

Liechtenstein [Excusé/apologised]

Lithuania/Lituanie

Dr Laimonas TAPINAS, Lithuanian Journalism Centre, VILNIUS

Luxembourg

M. Marco SGRECCIA, Ministère d'Etat, LUXEMBOURG

Malta/Malte

Dr Peter GRECH, Assistant Attorney General, VALLETTA

Moldova/Moldavie

Mme Mariana IUGA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CHISINAU

Netherlands/Pays-Bas

Mr H. C. VAN DER PLAS, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, ZOETERMEER

Norway/Norvège

Mr Roy KRISTIANSEN, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, OSLO; Mr Sverre SMELAND, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation

Poland/Pologne

Mr Boleslaw SULIK, National Council of Television and Broadcasting, WARSAW; Ms Isabel CHRUSLINSKA, National Council of Television and Broadcasting, WARSAW

Portugal

Mme M. T. RIBEIRO, (Vice-Chairperson/Vice-Présidente), Presidencia do Conselho de Ministros, LISBONNE

Romania/Roumanie

M. Horea MURGU, l'Académie de Théâtre et du Film de Bucarest, BUCAREST

Russian Federation/Fédération de Russie

Mr Yuri CHESTAK, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, MOSCOU

San Marino/Saint Marin [Excusé/apologised]

Slovakia/Slovaquie

Mrs Sylvia KLAUSOVA VOLZ, STS, BRATISLAVA; Mr Lubomir SISAK, Ministry of Culture, BRATISLAVA; Mr Ivan SECIK, Ministry of Culture, BRATISLAVA

Slovenia/Slovénie

Mr Joze OSTERMAN, Government of the Republic of Slovenia, LJUBLJANA

Spain/Espagne

M. Carlos L. CRESPO MARTINEZ, Palacio de Comunicaciones, MADRID

Sweden/Suède

Ms Monica BENGTSSON, Ministry of Culture, STOCKHOLM

Switzerland/Suisse

M. Frédéric RIEHL, Office Fédéral de la Communication, BIENNE; M. Michel PACHE, Département Fédéral des Affaires Etrangères, BERNE; Mme Silvia NEUENSCHWANDER, Département fédéral des transports des communications et de l'énergie, BIENNE; M. Michael EGLI, Département fédéral des transports, des communications et de l'énergie, BIENNE; M. Jacques FAVRE, , Commission de la Concurrence, BERNE

"The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"/"L'ex-République Yougoslave de Macédoine"

Ms Ana PANOVSKA, Government of "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", SKOPJE

Turkey/Turquie

Mr Nedim TEKIN, Radio-TV Supreme Council, ANKARA; Ms Belma ÖRS, Radio-TV Supreme Council, ANKARA; M. Bora SÖNMEZ, Radio-TV Supreme Council, ANKARA

Ukraine

Mr Volodymyr YATSENKIVSKIY, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, KYIV

United Kingdom/Royaume-Uni

Ms Carolyn MORRISON, Department of Culture, Media and Sport, LONDON; Mr Keith NICHOL, Department of Culture, Media and Sport, LONDON

OTHER PARTICIPANTS/AUTRES PARTICIPANTS

European Commission/Commission européenne

Mme Marie-Odile DEN HARTOG, Direction Générale Relations extérieures: BRUXELLES; M. Pedro OSONA, Direction Générale Information, Communication, Culture, Audiovisuel, BRUXELLES

Parliamentary Assembly/Assemblée Parlementaire

Mr Paul STAES, SCHOTEN

OBSERVERS/OBSERVATEURS

Armenia/Arménie

Mme Zara NAZARIAN, Ambassade de la République d'Arménie, PARIS

Azerbaïdjan

M. Gabil KOTCHARLY, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BAKU

Belarus/Bélarus

Mme Maria VANSHINA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MINSK; Ms Alison JAMES, ACT, BRUXELLES

Canada/Canada

[Excusé/Apologised]

Georgia/Géorgie

Mr Malkaz RADIANI, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, TBILISI

Holy See/Saint-Siège

M. Hans-Peter RÖTHLIN, Conseil Pontifical des Communications Sociales, CITE DU VATICAN

Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)/Organisation pour la Sécurité et la Coopération en Europe (OSCE)

[Excusé/Apologised]

Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT)/

Association des Télévisions Commerciales Européennes (ACT)

M. Daniel ZIMMERMANN, ACT, BRUXELLES; Ms Alison JAMES, ACT, BRUXELLES

AUDIOVISUAL EUREKA/EUREKA AUDIOVISUEL

Mme Martine STEPPÉ, EUREKA AUDIOVISUEL, BRUXELLES

European Broadcasting Union/Union Européenne de Radio-Télévision

M. Werner RUMPHORST, Union Européenne de Radio-Télévision, GRAND-SACONNEX/GENEVE; M. Jacques BRIQUEMONT, Union Européenne de Radio-Télévision, BRUXELLES

Nordic Council of Ministers/Conseil des Ministres Nordique

[Apologised/excusé]

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE)/

Congrès des pouvoirs locaux et régionaux d'Europe CPLRE)

Mr Anthony DEGIOVANNI, MALTA

SECRETARIAT

Mr Hanno HARTIG, Head of Division II, Directorate of Human Rights/Chef de la Division II, Direction des Droits de l'Homme; Mr Christophe POIREL, Head of Media Section, Directorate of Human Rights/ Chef de la Section Media, Direction des Droits de l'Homme (Secretary to the Committee/Secrétaire du Comité); Mr Ramon PRIETO SUAREZ, Administrator, Media Section, Directorate of Human Rights/Administrateur, Section Media, Direction des Droits de l'Homme; Mr Rüdiger DOSSOW, Administrator, Media Section, Directorate of Human Rights/Administrateur, Section Media, Direction des Droits de l'Homme; Mr Ad VAN LOON, Administrator, Media Section, Directorate of Human Rights/Administrateur, Section Media, Direction des Droits de l'Homme; Mrs Lindsay YOUNGS, Principal Administrative Assistant, Media Section, Directorate of Human Rights/Assistante Administrative Principale, Section Media, Direction des Droits de l'Homme; Ms Bonnie THEOPHILOVA, Administrator, Office of the Clerk of the Parliamentary Assembly/Administrative Officer, Greffe de l'Assemblée Parlementaire; Mme Christiane DENNEMEYER, Press Attaché, Press and Public Relations Service/Attaché de Presse, Service des Relations avec la Presse et le Public

INTERPRETERS/INTERPRETES

Mme A. BEDDOWS; Mr N. EDWARDS; Mme S. HOYER-BARTHEL; Mr Ph. QUAINE

APPENDIX II

Agenda