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The European Commission has decided to accord the Safer Internet Action Plan a two-year extension. This means that the present Action Plan (1999-2002), which has been central to the European Union's efforts against illegal and harmful content on the Internet, will now continue until the end of 2004. In financial terms, the Action Plan will benefit from an additional budget of 13.3 million EUR (i.e., a total budget of 38.3 million EUR). The objectives of the Safer Internet Action Plan are to: create a safer online environment by establishing a network of hotlines in Europe and by promoting self-regulation;...

Under the Broadcasting Act, 2001, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has the role of drafting codes on matters of taste and decency, portrayal of violence and of sexual conduct in broadcast programmes (see IRIS 2001-4: 9). It is also required to implement rules governing advertising and sponsorship in accordance with the provisions of the "Television without Frontiers" Directive. The Broadcasting Complaints Commission hears complaints in relation to breaches of the relevant rules and codes. In February 2002, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission upheld a complaint against TV3, the national...

In a ruling of 20 February, the Bundesverwaltungsgericht (Federal Administrative Court - BVerwG) offered an explanation of the ban on the TV broadcasting of pornography set out in para. 3 of the original Rundfunkstaatsvertrag (Inter-State Agreement on Broadcasting - RStV a.F.). The aforementioned paragraph states that TV programmes are unlawful "if they are pornographic (see Penal Code Section 184)". This reference to the Strafgesetzbuch (Penal Code - StGB) formed the background of a legal dispute between a private broadcaster who had shown a series of films on pay-TV and the relevant supervisory...

By its decision of 15 February 2002, the Vlaams Commissariaat voor de Media (Flemish Media Authority) has decided to recognise the SBS-broadcasting station VT4 as a Flemish broadcasting organisation. From 1 March 2002, VT4 will operate under the Flemish Broadcasting Act 1995. VT4's licence from the Independent Television Commission (ITC) in the United Kingdom also ceased to be valid on 1 March 2002. Until recently, VT4, as a British broadcaster with its programmes targeting the Flemish Community, was operating with an ITC licence in accordance with the UK Broadcasting Act. Since February 1995,...

Recently signed by the Russian President on 18 December 2001, the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation contains some new provisions concerning the dissemination of information by means of the mass media. First, when a story appears in the mass media about the commission of a crime or concerning the preparation for it, such action shall serve as grounds for initiating a prosecution. On demand by a prosecutor, an investigator or a body of inquiry, the editorial office and editor-inchief of the enterprise concerned shall be obliged to hand over all the documents and materials giving...