BROADCASTING : AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA SERVICES: CHRONIC TRANSPOSITION DELAYS.

In two years, only three countries have fully transposed the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (formerly TV Without Frontiers), a poor showing for this major EU reform adopted in December 2007 with the aim of adapting European television to new broadcasting (on-demand services) and advertising markets through traditional TV, satellite, cable and internet.

The three countries that have complied are Belgium, Romania and Slovakia, which have officially notified the European Commission of their full implementation of the new rules. The others have either notified the Commission of partial implementation (Denmark, France, Luxembourg and United Kingdom) or have partially applied the text but without notifying the Commission (Austria, Germany, Ireland, Malta and Netherlands). Hungary's legislative process is at a standstill after the draft law was rejected by parliament. In other states, draft laws are still being discussed, published or are still in public consultation.

SANCTIONS POSSIBLE

Before taking on her new portfolio of justice and fundamental rights, Vivian Reding, the current EU Information Society Commissioner, is upping the pressure: "There can be no excuse for any more delay". The commissioner warns that, under the Treaty of Lisbon, the executive may now specify a lump sum or penalty payment when bringing an infringement case against a member state for non-transposition (in the past, it had to have two rulings in its favour).

In addition, since...