Croatia

[HR] Draft Law on Audiovisual Services

IRIS 2007-5:1/20

Nives Zvonarić

Ministry of Culture, Zagreb, Croatia

In the course of its 25th session, currently in progress, the Croatian Parliament shall discuss, among other issues, the draft Law on Audiovisual Services.

The proposed law shall regulate the performance, organisation and funding of audiovisual services, the encouragement of Croatian audiovisual creativity and distribution, as well as complementary activities, the protection of audiovisual heritage, the promotion of cinematographic representations, and the presentation of Croatian audiovisual works in cinema theatres both within the country and abroad.

Thus, Article 20, para. 1 of the draft specifies that the national programme defines the scope and method of the promotion of audiovisual services, complementary activities and other activities in the field of audiovisual culture and art, as well as activities related to the participation in the EU programmes and other international agreements. Article 31, para. 1 provides for the financial resources necessary for the implementation of the national programme. This shall be secured from the State budget as well as from a share of the aggregated gross annual revenue, accrued in the preceding year, through the execution of audiovisual activities, as follows:

- Croatian Radio and Television: 2%;

- Television broadcasters on national level: 0.8%;

- Television broadcasters on regional level: 0.5%;

- Operators of the cable distribution systems: 0.5%;

- Operators of fixed and mobile telecommunications networks and Internet service providers: 1%;

- Other agents making use of audiovisual works in the course of executing their economic activities (cinema operators and video services): 0.1%.