Press Release: Australia lifts curbs on Olympic Games media coverage

The Olympic Games organisers in Sydney had originally planned to curb access for foreign media that had not bought exclusive rights to transmit the events. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy made representations to the Australian authorities to warn them that the plan threatened to cause a WTO dispute, given that Australia did not appear to be in line with its commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). The US also lodged a complaint with Australia. Australia's Olympic authorities have now lifted their planned curbs on Olympic Games media coverage. As a result, foreign television news agencies, including the agencies Reuters and Associated Press, will be entitled to permanent passes that would not have been issued under Sydney's original plans.