The Voice of Commercially-Funded Radios in Brussels
Join AER:
AER welcomes both full and associate Members.
Eligible for a full membership are regional, national and international radio associations, groups and networks as well as individual radio stations with headquarters in one of the EU Member States. For further details about full membership, please refer to Article 5.1 of the AER Statutes.
Any physical or legal entity that complies with Article 5.2 of the
AER Statutes, and any radio association, group or network whose
headquarters are in a non-EU country is eligible for associate
membership.
For questions regarding membership, please contact the AER Secretary General in writing:
Marianne Bugge Zederkof
mbz(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)aereurope.org
Read the Association Statutes here.
Why you need us and why we need you:
Created in 1992, the Association of European Radios (AER) is a trade-association representing the interests of over 4500 private and commercial radio broadcasters across Europe to the EU institutions. From its office in the heart of Brussels’ European District, AER monitors, lobbies and contributes to the working process of the European Institutions and informs members of policy developments affecting the commercial radio sector.
Although no specific EU regulatory framework exists for radio, an estimated 70% of our national legislation has EU origin. As Europe grows in size, so it has grown in the scope of its competencies. While the “final say” on decisions affecting radio broadcasters remains largely in the hands of national regulatory bodies, an increasing number of decisions made at EU level are directly impacting on AER members; hence the need for a strong presence in Brussels.
These are some of the policy areas which are being closely monitored by AER:
Spectrum Management – The EU has been quite active in that field in the past years through the Radio Spectrum Committee, the Radio Spectrum Policy Group and through regulation (e.g., the “Telecom package”). The EU thus seems to favour the introduction of spectrum trading, with the Commission proposing to introduce spectrum markets in the EU. Spectrum being essential for radio broadcasting, AER is strongly involved in all debates on this topic.
Advertising standards – Advertising revenue is the lifeblood of commercial radio. EU rulings on advertising standards and unfair commercial practices could potentially have a huge impact on our sector and must be monitored accordingly. AER therefore carefully follows EU initiatives and co-operates with advertising organisations such as EASA and egta, as well as with other media associations like EPC, ENPA, EMMA, NME and ACT.
Information Society – The EU is committed to enforcing the “Information Society for All”. AER believes that radio is and remains one of the most cost effective and accessible means to achieve this objective, also when it comes to reducing the digital divide.
Copyright – The EU has previously stated that the enforcement of intellectual property rights is “of paramount importance for the success of the internal market”. A vast number of consultations and projects in this field, such as the various initiatives on the modernisation of EU copyright and the (re-)aggregation of musc rights as well as on enforcement are being closely monitored and shaped by our organisation.
Competition – The EU’s rulings on competition directly affect the commercial radio sector, particularly as regards state aid to public service broadcasters. AER for instance worked on the review of the 2001 EU Broadcasting Communication.
Membership – A European lobbying organisation is as strong as the membership it represents. In order to defend European commercial radios’ interests in the best possible way, a comprehensive representativeness covering all EU Member States is of great importance. AER welcomes both full and associate Members. Eligible for a full membership are regional, national and international radio associations, corporate companies, groups and networks as well as individual radio stations with headquarters in one of the EU Member States.
Contact:
Association of European Radios AER
Rue des Deux Eglises 26, B-1000 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 736 91 31
Website: www.aereurope.org
For information, please contact the AER Director francesca.fabbri(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)aereurope.org