AER - Association Européenne des Radios

Media Releases

European media business welcomes clarification of rules applying to State aid to public broadcasters

Brussels, 2 July 2009 – Today representatives of the European media business – including the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT), the Association of European Radios (AER), the European Publishers’ Council (EPC), the European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA) and the German Association of Commercial Broadcasters and Audiovisual Services (VPRT) – welcomed the conclusion of the revision of the 2001 Broadcasting Communication. The Communication sets out the principles to be followed by the Commission in the application of Articles 87 and 86(2) of the EC Treaty to State funding of public sector broadcasting. In the EU 27, state aid to broadcasting is estimated as being worth at least Euro 22 bn per year. In the current economic environment, it is of ever greater importance that the European Union rules on state aid are rigorously applied so as to ensure that those private sector companies who do not seek public support are not unfairly disadvantaged.

Brussels, 24 February 2009 – Today representatives of the European media business – including the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT), the Association of European Radios (AER), the European Publishers’ Council (EPC) and the German Association of Commercial Television and Radios (VPRT) - gathered in Brussels to call on the European Commission to resist pressure from Member States to water down proposals that seek to establish clear fundamental guidelines on state aid to publicly- funded broadcasters.