Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Apr 1994

Vol. 441 No. 1

Written Answers. - EU Audiovisual Agreement.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

33 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the implications, if any, of the recent EU audiovisual agreement on the GATT negotiations on the Irish audiovisual sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (Mr. M. Higgins)

I have no need to remind Deputies of my committed support to the need for the recognition and adequate protection of the cultural dimension of the audiovisual sector, including film, in Europe. As I informed the House on 15 December last, I have always supported the approach that guarantees, for European producers and broadcasters, adequate space for European programming on our television and cinema screens. I consistently put forward this view in the development of the European Union's negotiating position in relation to the audiovisual sector in the GATT negotiations which were concluded on that date.

With regard to the outcome of those negotiations, the European Union has not committed itself to any particular liberalisation measures. It has, therefore, made no commitments in relation to market access or national treatment and has availed of widespread exemptions from the most-favoured-nation clauses, thus securing most aspects of its audio-visual policy. It follows that the Union has retained all the room for manoeuvre for the foreseeable future in determining future strategies in the audiovisual sector. The Green Paper published by the Commission on 7 April on strategy options to strengthen the European programme industry in the context of the audiovisual policy of the European Union, represents the start of the consultation process that will hopefully lead to the launching of major new policy initiatives for the development of the European film and television industry. In so far as the Irish situation is concerned, I am satisfied that the conclusions of the agreement do not place the Irish audio-visual industry in a less advantageous position than existed before the finalisation of the agreement and I look forward to the industry benefiting from the initiatives that will eventually flow from the publication of the Green Paper.