Media Study - Medija centar Beograd

5.2.2 APPENDIX 2 TO ANNEX 5.2 PUBLIC FINANCING OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTERS
AND STATE AID RULES
PUBLIC FINANCING OF PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTERS
AND STATE AID RULES
European public service broadcasters receive more than €22 billion annually from licence fees or
direct government aid, placing them in third place, after agriculture and transport companies, among
recipients of state aid.
The Protocol to the Treaty of Amsterdam clarifies that national public service broadcasting systems are
directly related to the democratic, social and cultural needs of society. It guarantees Member States'
right to fund public service broadcasting insofar as such funding is granted for the fulfillment of a
public service remit as conferred, defined and organised by each Member State, and insofar as such
funding does not unduly affect trade and competition in the EU 106 .
To clarify its understanding of this Protocol, the Commission first adopted a Communication on the
application of state aid rules to public service broadcasting in 2001
The EU Commission’s 2001 Communication adopts the following approach:
The Commission recognises the particular role of public service broadcasting as acknowledged by the
Protocol to the Amsterdam Treaty in the promotion of democratic, social and cultural needs of each
society.
The Commission is competent for control on State aid. Public broadcasting can be defined as a service
of general interest, but its funding by state resources in general remains State aid.
106 The Amsterdam protocol defines the "public service remit as conferred, defined and organised by each Member
State" and provides a derogation to Treaty rules for funding of public service broadcasting "in so far as such funding
is granted to broadcasting organisations for the fulfilment of the public service remit…and …does not affect trading
conditions and competition in the Community to an extent which would be contrary to the common interest, while
the realisation of the remit of that public service shall be taken into account".
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