European Audiovisual Observatory: prolonging the Community participation

PURPOSE : to amend Council Decision 1999/84/EC prolonging Community participation in the European Audiovisual Observatory for a period of two years. PROPOSED ACT : Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council. CONTENT : By Decision 1999/784/EC, the Community began participation in the European Audiovisual Observatory for a period ending on 31 December 2004. The European Audiovisual Observatory is an Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe. At present, 35 States, among which all the present and future Member States, participate in the Observatory. The Commission considers that the policy objectives of knowledge dissemination and market transparency are of the utmost importance for the development of the audio-visual sector insofar they help operators' taking business decisions and assist regulatory instances to set the best environment from an overall view point. The activity of the Observatory in the area of market statistics, financial and legal information can effectively contribute to the achievement of such objectives and therefore, it is in the Community interest to support and consolidate the structure of the Observatory as well as the bilateral co-operation. The Observatory's contribution to the achievement of the objectives will be improved by the implementation of a new strategy, which, at present, is undergoing a feasibility assessment. The extension of the Community participation in the Observatory for the period 2005/2006 will secure political guidance and an important financial contribution to the Observatory's ordinary activity over the period necessary to define new strategies. The Commission proposes the maintenance of the yearly budget at the level of 2004, being EUR 235 000. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS : - Budget line and heading - B 3 2017 - Autres actions dans le domaine audiovisuel ABB "15 05 01 03"; - Overall figures - Total allocation for action (Part B): EUR 0.470 million for commitment; - Period of application: 1/1/2005 - 31/12/2006; - Overall multiannual estimate of expenditure: commitments and payments for 2005 and 2006 respectively: EUR 235 000; - Overall financial impact of human resources and other administrative expenditure; - Commitments and payments for 2005 and 2006 respectively - EUR 46 000. Total EUR 92 000 ; - Total : 2005 - EUR 281 000; 2006: EUR 281 000 Total commitments and appropriations - EUR 562 000.�