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Two years after it was set up, the Kommission für Jugendschutz der Landesmedienanstalten (Youth Protection Commission of the regional media authorities - KJM) published an activity report at the beginning of April 2005. Since being established in 2003, the KJM has identified a total of 49 infringements of the provisions of the Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag (Inter-State Agreement on youth protection in the media - JMStV) in the programmes of private broadcasters. More than half of the 91 complaints it has dealt with have therefore been upheld. At present, the courts are examining the programme...

According to a programme analysis currently being conducted on behalf of the Gemeinsame Stelle Programm, Werbung und Medienkompetenz (Joint Body on programming, advertising and media competence - GSPWM) of the Landesmedienanstalten (regional media authorities), ring tones are the subject of the overwhelming majority of advertisements broadcast by the four music channels in Germany. In some cases, more than 90% of airtime that can be used for advertising is devoted exclusively to this type of product. At its meeting of 16 March 2005, the Joint Body also concluded that two of the broadcasters had,...

The Flemish government has taken the initiative of reorganising the authorities currently licensing and/or supervising radio- and television broadcasting, cable networks and radio- and television services in the Flemish Community. The idea is to unite the existing authorities into one agency, the Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media (Flemish Regulator for the Media - FRM).The draft bill integrates the competences of the Vlaams Commissariaat voor de Media (Flemish Media Authority), the Vlaamse Geschillenraad voor Radio en Televisie (Flemish Council of Disputes for Radio and Television) and the Vlaamse...

On 11 May 2005 the European Parliament and the Council signed a Directive prohibiting unfair commercial practices (see IRIS 2005-4: 5, IRIS 2004-7: 3 and IRIS 2003-8: 5). In so doing, EU authorities have taken the protection of consumers' interests a step further. This Directive is an amending addition to several others covering the same field: the protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts (Directives 84/450/EEC and 97/7/EC), injunctions for the protection of consumers' interests (Directive 98/27/EC) and the distance marketing of consumer financial services (Directive 2002/65/EC)....

On 13 May, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted a Declaration on human rights and the rule of law in the Information Society. The Declaration will be submitted as a Council of Europe contribution to the Tunis Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS, see IRIS 2004-2: 2) in November 2005. The first section of the Declaration is entitled “Human Rights in the Information Society”. Its treatment of “the right to freedom of expression, information and communication” includes the assertion that existing standards of protection should apply in digital and non-digital...