The European Commission has launched a public consultation on its forthcoming review of the 1993 Satellite and Cable Directive, the scope of which may be extended to cover certain broadcasters' online services, including TV and radio. Specifically the EC is asking whether EU rules defining where and how satellite broadcasters and cable companies should clear copyright are fully up-to-date in the light of market and technological developments. The review of the Satellite and Cable Directive is linked to the EC’s plans to modernise EU copyright rules as set out in its Digital Single Market strategy to enhance cross border access to broadcasting and related online services across the continent.
The EC said the aim of the consultation is to assess the extent to which the Directive has improved consumers' cross-border access to broadcasting services in the Internal Market since coming into force over two decades ago, and what would be the impact of extending the Directive to TV and radio programmes provided over the internet, notably broadcasters' online services. The Commission said it wants to hear from consumers, public authorities, broadcasters, authors, audiovisual and record producers, performers, collective management organisations, satellite and cable operators, internet and online service providers and any other interested stakeholder in the consultation, which runs until 16 November.
The assessment of the Satellite and Cable Directive follows the EC’s recent launch of a related consultation on the Audio-visual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), which runs until 30 September.
