B3-0443/94

Resolution on the strategy to introduce digital HDTV

The European Parliament,

A.whereas Directive 92/38/EEC of 11 May 1992 had as a goal to promote the transition from standard quality TV (625 lines) to HDTV (1250 lines),

B.whereas the European Parliament has amended Directive 92/38/EEC in a way which explicitly opens the route to digital HDTV in Europe,

C.whereas the Commission, in the proposal for a directive to replace 92/38/EEC (COM(93)0556), abandons the strategy to promote HDTV in favour of a strategy to promote wide-format TV, which will produce a further proliferation of transmission norms (analogue and digital, standard and HD, Pal, Pal-plus, Secam, D2MAC, HDMAC),

D.whereas the draft resolution of the Council on a framework for Community policy on digital video broadcasting (COM(93)0557) does not give a framework for the introduction of digital HD broadcasts but only for standard digital broadcasts,

E.whereas with COM(93)0556 and COM(93)0557 the EU will still have no basis for the introduction of digital HDTV,

1.Believes that the "laissez-faire, laissez-passer" approach of the Commission on the development of HDTV is a shortsighted and hypersensitive over-reaction to the breakdown of the HDMAC strategy;

2.Fears that the exclusively wide-format strategy of COM(93)0556 will lead to a proliferation of norms and will result in wide-format TV failing to achieve a commercial breakthrough, since the consumer will not accept a new TV format if this does not provide improved quality;

3.Fears likewise that the standard digital strategy of COM(93)0557 will indeed lead to digital TV, but not to better picture quality (high definition), so long as the financial interests favouring the introduction of standard digital (more channels in the same bandwidth) conflict with the introduction of HD digital (fewer channels in the same bandwidth);

4.Concludes that COM(93)0556 and COM(93)0557 not only signal the breakdown of the Community's HDMAC strategy, but at the same time confirm the total lack of a strategy to introduce digital HDTV;

5.Considers this completely unacceptable in the light of the interest of the development of digital HDTV for European industry and consumers, and asks the Commission to present to the European Parliament and the Council, before 31 December 1994, a strategy to introduce digital HDTV;

6.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.