Euronews gets bigger role in EU information strategy

Date: 11/12/1997

THE relationship between the pan-European television channel Euronews and the EU is set to change next year as part of a wider plan by MEPs to reform the Union's public information policy.

The European Parliament is using its budgetary powers to insist that the Union's annual financial support for the Lyon-based station should no longer be treated as a straight grant.

The move is in line with efforts by Dutch Christian Democrat MEP Peter Pex, chairman of the Parliament's culture committee, to improve the dissemination of information about the Union.

If the proposals are endorsed in the annual budgetary negotiations next week, Euronews will have to work out specific commitments with the European Commission to produce and broadcast certain programmes with distinctive EU themes.

Although the station already uses a large amount of the raw material offered to all EU television companies from the Europe By Satellite programme run by the Commission, this was not a condition of its 3.6-million-ecu grant this year.

“There is a feeling among MEPs that the Union should get something in exchange for providing finance. But the contract will make very clear that there will be total respect for Euronews' editorial independence,” explained one EU official.

Under the contract now being negotiated, Euronews - which reaches a potential audience of more than 90 million households - could receive 2 million ecu next year for broadcasts on the Union and 1.25 million ecu for special campaigns explaining the importance of the single currency, policy reform and enlargement.