Cullen International has just published two new benchmarks tracking the progress in the transposition of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive across 14 European countries and the most interesting proposals under discussion.

Since the last report:

• the Parliament of Belgium (Wallonia) approved the decree that implements new EU rules. The amendments are not in force yet;
• In Croatia, Parliament started a first reading examination of the draft law;
• The government of Belgium (Flanders) adopted a draft decree which is now in the hands of the Parliament;
• In Poland, a new draft law was presented to the Committee on European Matters of Council of Ministers (i.e. the preparatory body of the council of ministers).

Denmark, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK also transposed the directive. The UK was bound to implement the directive since the transposition deadline fell before the end of the Brexit transition period (end of 2020). The arrangements after this date are covered in a separate report.

In France, the government ordinance transposing the directive was published in the Official Journal on 23 December 2020. However, full transposition also requires the modification of two existing application decrees, which are expected to be ready for the end of March 2021 and to enter into force on 1 July 2021. 

In Italy, the lead committee of the Camera Parliament house concluded without amendments the examination of the draft law (as approved by Senate in first reading in October 2020) that delegates to the government the powers to implement the directive by legislative decree. The timing of the vote in the Camera is unknown.

As for other countries:

• In Ireland, the government bill is ready to be tabled in Parliament.
• The Spanish government is expected to submit a draft law to Parliament in early 2021.
• In Norway a public consultation on the draft law is expected in early 2021 and Parliament would start examining it in Autumn 2021 at the earliest.

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