23-25 April Culture Informal

Date: 02/05/1996

A CLASH between MEPs and ministers now looks inevitable, following the decision taken by culture ministers in Bologna not to change significantly their position on plans to limit the number of foreign films shown on European television screens. The European Parliament has demanded that the existing quota system, which forces stations to screen a minimum of 51&percent; European programmes “where practicable”, be tightened. But ministers now seem unwilling to compromise. “If the November compromise is changed in any way, the whole thing could fall apart,” warned Italian Culture Minister Agostino Gambino. The Commission is due to present an amended proposal to the Council in the coming weeks which will take into account the Parliament's amendments. If it accepts those changes, then ministers can only reject them by unanimous vote. MEPs have come under fire from industry representatives for calling for an extension of the scope of the broadcasting rules to cover new audio-visual services vital to the emergence of the information society.

MINISTERS called on the Commission to rework plans to establish a 200-million-ecu loan guarantee fund to help shore up Europe's flagging film industry. Spanish Culture Commissioner Marcelino Oreja has been asked to produce a detailed description of how the fund would be managed and who would be eligible for loans. Some of the smaller member states expressed concern at the meeting that they would not get their fair share of the available funds.