The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Roberta Angelilli (UEN, Italy) on parental control of television broadcasting. Parliament expressed its dismay at the rising wave of television violence to which children are exposed, and felt that all television operators should agree a code of self-regulation in respect of the protection of minors. It emphasised the need to ensure the availability to all families of television filtering devices at an affordable price, and called on the Member States to ensure this objective. The Commission is called upon to conduct another study to identify ways in which people in all age groups can be prepared for coping in an aware fashion with the growing volume of television offerings in the digital age.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Roberta Angelilli (UEN, Italy) on parental control of television broadcasting. Parliament expressed its dismay at the rising wave of television violence to which children are exposed, and felt that all television operators should agree a code of self-regulation in respect of the protection of minors. It emphasised the need to ensure the availability to all families of television filtering devices at an affordable price, and called on the Member States to ensure this objective. The Commission is called upon to conduct another study to identify ways in which people in all age groups can be prepared for coping in an aware fashion with the growing volume of television offerings in the digital age.

The committee adopted the report by Roberta ANGELILLI (UEN, I) on the Commission communication on parental control of television broadcasting. The committee believed that measures to protect young people from violent and other harmful material should not be confined to conventional television but should include all types of multimedia channels. It called for more teaching of media skills to children and for television filtering devices to be made available at a price which was affordable to all. At the same time it stressed that the availability of filter systems must not be used by the media and service providers as an excuse to duck their responsibilities for the content they supply. As questions pertaining to radio and television fall within the competence of the Member States, the latter and the Commission were asked to underline, in any legislation, the responsibilities incumbent upon media companies. In addition, all television operators in the EU were urged to agree a self-regulation code for the protection of minors.

OBJECTIVE: Commission Communication on a Study on Parental Control of Television Broadcasting CONTENT: The study was carried out as required by Article 22b.2 of the amended Television without Frontiers Directive. The study reaffirms the importance accorded to the protection of minors and considers that a significant public interest lies in protecting children from viewing excessive television violence and other programming that may produce harmful effects. Its main conclusions are: - The explosion in the number of channels in Europe, many of them cross-border channels, in a multi-set digital era makes it more difficult for regulators to monitor broadcasters· compliance with programming standards based on cultural sensitivities. - The adoption of 'V-chip' technology is not technically feasible in Europe. In any event, digital technology offers the opportunity to develop far more sophisticated and secure filtering systems. The Commission will discuss this in the framework of its regular contacts with Digital Video Broadcasting (DGV). - Technical measures are not a complete substitute for broadcaster responsibility, although they make a valuable contribution with regard to encrypted services such as pay-TV. Broadcaster responsibility must be maintained, and methods such as the 'watershed' must remain effective. - A harmonised approach to rating audiovisual content is excluded because of the cultural diversity of the European market. The study approves of the drawing up of common descriptive criteria, which would leave the evaluation of content to the competent national authorities. - Rating systems used in the different media should be brought more into line with each other. The Commission will pursue the development and promotion of descriptive ratings systems adapted to the digital environment.

OBJECTIVE: Commission Communication on a Study on Parental Control of Television Broadcasting CONTENT: The study was carried out as required by Article 22b.2 of the amended Television without Frontiers Directive. The study reaffirms the importance accorded to the protection of minors and considers that a significant public interest lies in protecting children from viewing excessive television violence and other programming that may produce harmful effects. Its main conclusions are: - The explosion in the number of channels in Europe, many of them cross-border channels, in a multi-set digital era makes it more difficult for regulators to monitor broadcasters· compliance with programming standards based on cultural sensitivities. - The adoption of 'V-chip' technology is not technically feasible in Europe. In any event, digital technology offers the opportunity to develop far more sophisticated and secure filtering systems. The Commission will discuss this in the framework of its regular contacts with Digital Video Broadcasting (DGV). - Technical measures are not a complete substitute for broadcaster responsibility, although they make a valuable contribution with regard to encrypted services such as pay-TV. Broadcaster responsibility must be maintained, and methods such as the 'watershed' must remain effective. - A harmonised approach to rating audiovisual content is excluded because of the cultural diversity of the European market. The study approves of the drawing up of common descriptive criteria, which would leave the evaluation of content to the competent national authorities. - Rating systems used in the different media should be brought more into line with each other. The Commission will pursue the development and promotion of descriptive ratings systems adapted to the digital environment.