International work
We cooperate with a number of media authorities in Sweden, the Nordic countries and Europe, both through direct partnerships and via various networks. The aim is to create platforms for discussing and sharing intelligence on various current media issues.
Current topics
ERGA’s three subgroups, 2020
The Swedish Press and Broadcasting Authority is participating in three different working groups in 2020, and the Director General of SPBA sits on the Board at ERGA.
This subgroup is working with application of the AV Directive and has three focus areas:
Focus area 1: To develop Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) with specific guidance on how to deal with transnational matter: in other words, forms of cooperation have to be found for areas where there are gaps in the AV Directive. This includes the focus area of video sharing platforms and the transmitting country principle.
Focus area 2: A mandate from the Commission to compile a report on ERGA’s views on the future regulation of online content in Europe. The Commission is creating new legislation (the Digital Service Act – DSA package) to regulate online commerce, with online platforms taking responsibility for consumers’ basic rights across borders, as well as content regulation.
Focus area 3: Spain will be organising a workshop on the challenges facing vloggers, which will be compiled in a report.
Subgroup 2 is working on disinformation issues.
The Commission reached an agreement with the major social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Google in the autumn of 2018 concerning a code of conduct. Subgroup 2 has been commissioned by the Commission to review the implementation by the media platforms of the commitments made in the Code.
In the spring of 2019, efforts focused on political advertising for the European Parliament elections. In the autumn of 2019, work continued on reviewing how social media platforms comply with other requirements in the Code of Conduct. The emphasis was on how the platforms worked together with the research community and what efforts they are making to increase media literacy in their respective EU countries. The conclusions from this work are included in the report:
The working group will be continuing with two different focal points in the spring of 2020. One focal point (Monitoring of Code/Assessment of additional actions) will continue the review of the Code of Conduct, while the other (Notion of disinformation) will develop a definition for the concept of disinformation.
During the COVID-19 crisis, the workgroup has also been tasked with reporting on efforts made by each member country to counter disinformation.
Subgroup 3, Media Plurality and Findability, is working on the basis that it is important for EU Member States to implement measures to protect the visibility of content of public interest.
Technical developments have brought with them new distribution channels, more content and new ways of distributing audiovisual content. This has created a need to discuss whether rules are needed to ensure that content of public interest can be found in an increasingly crowded media environment.
Subgroup 3’s work focuses on two articles in the AV Directive:
- Article 7a: Member States may take measures to ensure the appropriate prominence of audiovisual media services of general interest. (Voluntary)
- Article 13: Member States shall ensure that media service providers of on-demand audiovisual media services under their jurisdiction secure at least a 30% share of European works in their catalogues and ensure prominence of those works. (Mandatory)