Press Release: Protection of minors: European Commission to propose improved framework during the first quarter of 2004

The European Commission adopted in December 2003 a new evaluation report on the September 1998 Council Recommendation concerning the protection of minors and human dignity in audiovisual and information services. The report analyses the measures adopted in the Member States and at European Union level since the year 2000. Commissioner Reding, Member States and other interested parties have been expressing concerns for several years on the high level of violence in some media. Accordingly, and in order to be able to keep up with the challenges which technological developments bring, the Commission intends to follow up on this evaluation report by proposing an update of the Recommendation during the first quarter of 2004.