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A number of Member States of the Council of Europe have either signed or ratified treaties of relevance to the audiovisual sector since the publication in IRIS 2002-5 of the table of signatures and ratifications of such treaties. - On 14 May, the Netherlands became the eighth country to accede to the European Convention on the Legal Protection of Services based on, or consisting of, Conditional Access (see IRIS 2000-9: 3). Having signed this Convention on 24 January 2001, Romania proceeded to become the first country to ratify it on 26 August 2002. The Convention will enter into force upon ratification...

The new legislation concerning the National Radio and Television Council (ESR) and the other authorities in the audiovisual sector (Act no. 2863/2000 - see IRIS 2001-1: 9) provides for self-regulation mechanisms by instituting self-regulatory bodies in respect of radio and television services. Under the new legislation, holders of authorisations (both private radio and television channels broadcasting without encryption and suppliers of encrypted radio and/or television services) must conclude multi-lateral contracts in which their parties define the rules and ethical principles governing the programmes...

The Greek Parliament recently adopted new legislation (Act no. 2863/2000) concerning the Ethniko Symvoulio Radiotileorassis (National Radio and Television CouncilESR) and the other authorities in the audiovisual sector, i.e., the Minister for the Press and the Mass Media and the self-regulatory bodies set up by the Act. The Act reinforces the role of the ESR, which was established as an independent authority in 1989, and extends its powers to grant licences and impose penalties. The ESR is responsible for issuing, renewing and revoking licences in respect of private radio and television channels...

A presidential decree (no. 100/2000) has just been published in the official gazette, transposing into domestic law the provisions of Directive 97/36/EC of 30 June 1997. The decree covers the full text of Directive 89/552/EEC on "Television without frontiers", as amended in 1997. In accordance with this decree, the Minister for the Press and the Mass Media may, further to a suitable opinion or following a proposal from the National Radio and Television Council (NRTC), order an advance ban on the re-broadcasting of programmes broadcast by television bodies under the supervision of other Member...

A new law (2644/1998) governing pay-services on radio and television came into force on 9 October 1998. This law applies to any service to which public access is subject to the conditions (e.g., possession of a decoder, payment of a subscription) laid down by the "authorisation-holder", whatever the mode (analogue or digital) or route (terrestrial, satellite or cable) of broadcasting. Article 2 of the law contains rules intended to avoid abuse of a dominant position in the audio-visual sector in broad terms, including both pay-television and "free reception". Any authorisation-holder (which must...