Close Menu
    Latest Category
    • Finance
    • Tech
    • EU Law
    • Energy
    • About
    • Contact
    EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politicsEUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics
    Login
    • EU News
    • Focus
    • Guides
    • Press
    • Jobs
    • Events
    • Directory
    EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politicsEUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics
    Home » EU institutions reach deal on cross-border access to online content

    EU institutions reach deal on cross-border access to online content

    npsBy nps18 December 2018Updated:25 June 2024 No Comments3 Mins Read
    — Filed under: EU News Headline2 Internet Media
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
    EU institutions reach deal on cross-border access to online content

    TV – Photo European Parliament

    (BRUSSELS) – Parliament, Commission and Council negotiators reached a political agreement Thursday on proposed EU copyright legislation to make online TV and radio programmes more easily available in Europe.

    The agreement includes mechanisms to facilitate the clearance of copyright and related rights of radio and TV content for cross-border digital broadcast and retransmissions. The new rules are expected to provide for a wider distribution of news and current affairs programmes and promote wider access to information.

    “This regulation has the potential to unlock a large amount of broadcast content across borders, benefiting the 41% of Europeans who watch TV online but also the 20 million EU citizens who were born in a different EU country from the one they live in,” said the EC’s vice-president for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip.

    It is a “double win” for European’s cultural diversity, added Digital Economy Commissioner Mariya Gabriel: “citizens will have better access to Europe’s rich content, and creators and authors will be adequately rewarded for their content.”

    According to the new rules, broadcasting organisations that want to transmit their services cross-border would need to clear copyright and related rights only in their EU country of establishment (known as the “country of origin” principle). Currently, this needs to be done for each member state of broadcast.

    Parliament and Council agreed that these rules will only apply to radio or TV news and current affairs programmes, fully financed own productions of the broadcasting organisations, meaning broadcasters could make their content available online in other countries at the same time as their broadcast or as catch-up services. Sport events are excluded.

    Council and Parliament will have to formally endorse the agreement before it enters into force.

    The Satellite and Cable Directive (usually referred as the SatCab Directive) was introduced in 1993 to facilitate cross-border broadcasting services by satellite and cable retransmission of programmes within the EU. This legislation harmonises national provisions concerning the right of communication to the public by satellite and the right of retransmission by cable. However, broadcasters face practical difficulties with the acquisition of rights for cross-border online services, which are more and more in demand, especially among young audiences.

    Due to the principle of territoriality, broadcasters transmitting online TV and radio programmes need to clear the rights for the relevant territories in order to make their services available across borders. This process is complex and costly, as authorisation needs to be obtained from a multitude of rightsholders quickly. As a result, broadcasters often make their content available in a single member state and put geo-blocking measures in place.

    Procedure file, European Parliament

    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    nps
    • Website

    Related Content

    Euro - ECB-Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

    Euro continues to hold its ground – Euro currency news daily

    CCBE logo

    Legal Advisor, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe, CCBE

    Chemical production nature clouds - Image by andreas N from Pixabay

    EU to set up Critical Chemical Alliance

    Bulgaria euro - Photo © European Union 2025

    Bulgaria takes its place as 21st member of the eurozone

    Cars CO2 emissions- Photo by Alexey Demidov on Pexels

    Brussels seeks views on CO2 emission standards for cars and vans, car labelling

    EU agenda - Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay

    EU Agenda: Week Ahead – 6-12 July 2025

    LATEST EU NEWS
    Euro - ECB-Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

    Euro continues to hold its ground – Euro currency news daily

    9 July 2025
    Chemical production nature clouds - Image by andreas N from Pixabay

    EU to set up Critical Chemical Alliance

    8 July 2025
    Bulgaria euro - Photo © European Union 2025

    Bulgaria takes its place as 21st member of the eurozone

    8 July 2025
    Cars CO2 emissions- Photo by Alexey Demidov on Pexels

    Brussels seeks views on CO2 emission standards for cars and vans, car labelling

    7 July 2025
    Farming soyabean - Image by Loren King from Pixabay

    Brussels authorises use of safe genetically modified soybean as food and animal feed

    4 July 2025

    Subscribe to EUbusiness Week

    Get the latest EU news

    CONTACT INFO

    • EUbusiness Ltd 117 High Street, Chesham Buckinghamshire, HP5 1DE United Kingdom
    • +44(0)20 8058 8232
    • service@eubusiness.com

    INFORMATION

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Info

    Services

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • EU News

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    Facebook
    eubusiness.com © EUbusiness Ltd 2025

    Design and developed by : 

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Lost password?