Proposition 50K0774

Projet de loi modifiant la loi du 30 mars 1995 concernant les réseaux de distribution d'émissions de radiodiffusion et l'exercice d'activités de radiodiffusion dans la région bilingue de Bruxelles-Capitale.

General information ¶

Submitted by

Groen Open Vld Vooruit PS | SP Ecolo MR Verhofstadt Ⅰ

Submission date

June 30, 2000

Official page

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Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

Brussels region EC Directive broadcasting television

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA MR FN VB

Party dissidents ¶

• Marcel Hendrickx (Vooruit) abstained from voting.

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Discussion ¶

Dec. 14, 2000 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

I am referring to my written report.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Minister, colleagues, for this bill, at the end of June, the urgency was requested. It was about the transposition of two European directives. The discussion showed that another third European directive needed to be transposed, which was apparently forgotten. Therefore, the majority submitted amendments, prepared by the cabinet due to the urgency of course. Well, the amendment and discussion are an example of parliamentary amateurism because of the majority.

Now to the content of the design itself. We have no objections to the transposition of European directives. However, Minister Picqué adds a very strange article to the conversion. He wants every Brussels cable subscriber to pay 1 euro per year. This amount will be used to finance audiovisual projects at the federal level in Brussels. The Minister will decide annually who will receive the sum. I have submitted an amendment to remove this provision. At a time when almost everyone is convinced that the viewing and listening fee is best abolished, Minister Picqué introduces a new type of viewing fee of 1 euro.

The Minister argues that 1 euro is not a lot. That is true. However, it is not about the amount itself, but about the principle that is wrong. It cannot be that Brussels cable subscribers have to pay extra for federal projects. By the way, it is only the cable subscribers who have to pay a contribution, because those who watch television through a dishwasher antenna do not pay.

The Minister plans to donate the revenue to the Film Museum in the first year. Understand me well: The Film Museum is a nice institution and can use more resources. But there are still federal institutions in Brussels that can also use more credits, I think of the museums, the Royal Library and many others. Why should the Brussels cable subscriber raise the amount? If the Minister finds that some or all federal institutions have insufficient resources, then he must increase the allocations to it through the budget and not through the introduction of 1 euro viewing fee. By the way, I repeat that those who watch television through the dishwasher antenna do not pay the viewing fee. Is there no discrimination in the facts?

There is more. 1 euro is indeed not a lot, but in Brussels there are 350,000 cable subscribers. Multiplied by 1 euro, this brings us to a pot of more than 15 million that the minister can donate to the institution of his choice, because it is the King who decides on the matter. This is nothing more or less than a sinter class policy. Therefore, a true gift policy is anchored here. Those who give money quickly make friends and lobbying can therefore begin.

Mr. Speaker, unlike Ms. Creyf, I support this contribution requested from the broadcasters covering the Brussels-Capital region.

First, because this practice already exists in the French Community. The distributors participate in the financing of the film museum for each of their subscribers in the French Community by a contribution of 75 francs per subscriber. This seems to me perfectly justified because television, in any case everything that is audiovisual material, constitutes a competition to this creative tool that is cinema and therefore, I find it normal that they participate in it.

It is true that in the French Community, distributors have to pay and that they have reflected part of this quota-part on the price of the subscription. In the Brussels-Capital region, I do not know if the distributors will do so because the contribution is only one euro. This is indeed a risk to take but I think it is interesting that all residents participate in this measure of support for a cultural museum.

I would like to comment on this bill. It is true that it has been expected for a long time and that the transposition of European directives on this subject has been underway for more than a year. But it is a pity that the project had to be considered so urgently.

This project is actually very complicated and very technical. It is an interesting aspect that has not been taken into account and that we would have wanted to include, although it is not part of the transposition of the directives. This includes the possibility of granting or withdrawing a license to radio broadcasters - radio and television - in case of non-compliance in the programs of certain rules in particular that of non-discrimination and promotion of the federal heritage through cables.

As there was an urgent need for these transpositions, we were unable to establish coordination between the relevant communities, which was necessary to improve the project. We insisted that the Minister provokes these negotiations and that a solution is quickly found.

General discussion is closed. The general discussion is closed.