Skopje, 18 December 2018 – The European Union revised the Directive on Audiovisual Media Services and, as of now, in addition to the television broadcasters and the on-demand service providers, it will also be referring to the video-sharing platforms. The revised Directive entered into force today, while the EU member states are to incorporate it within their national legislations by 19 September 2020 at the latest. As an EU-membership candidate country, the Republic of Macedonia is obligated to harmonize its legislation with that of the EU.
The most significant changes being introduced are towards:
- extending the European audiovisual rules so as to apply to the video sharing platforms as well, and, thus, cover the video contents generated by the users themselves, which also ensures the essential functionality of the service;
- introducing a quota for European audiovisual works for the on-demand video services;
- strengthening the “country of origin” principle – clarifying which rules (of which member country) apply, at the same time extending these to both the media outlets and the on-demand video service providers;
- better protection of minors against harmful content on TV and on the new services and video sharing platforms;
- reinforcing the rules against hate speech, public provocation to commit terrorist offences, excessive violence and pornography. These shall also apply to the video-sharing platforms;
- more flexibility in television advertising, and
- reinforcing the rules regarding independence of the audiovisual regulatory authorities.