Telecommunications Commission against Swiss-EU media agreement

 
The National Council's Telecommunications Committee (KVF) rejects the media agreement with the EU because it allows alcohol, political and religious advertising in foreign television advertising windows. As KVF President Franz Brun (CVP/LU) explained to the media in Bern on Tuesday, according to SDA, the agreement undermines the Radio and Television Act (RTVA), which has only just been revised by Parliament. Swiss law must not be undermined by a treaty with the EU, said Brun. This would be tantamount to a loss of sovereignty. The KVF demanded "renegotiations" from Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin, who was present at the meetingIn its joint report to the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC), the KVF voted 17 to 3 against a further revision of the RTVA. As President Luzi Stamm (SVP/AG) of the lead committee, the APK, announced to SDA on Tuesday, the APK supported the agreement by 10 votes to 8. However, it postponed the final vote because the Council of States is the first chamber. Its APK will decide on November 20. However, Luzi Stamm described the KVF's demand for renegotiations with the EU as "illusory".
Participation in the Media film promotion project is linked to the condition that Switzerland applies an EU "Television without Frontiers" directive from November 2009. This means that the national regulations of the broadcaster's country of origin will now apply to advertising windows of foreign broadcasters, rather than Swiss law. The bilateral agreement signed by Switzerland and the EU is already provisionally in force. Film promotion itself is undisputed in both National Council committees.