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 (Flanders) approved the decree that implements new EU rules. The amendments are not in force yet;
• In Italy, both houses of Parliament have concluded the first reading examination of the draft law that delegates to the government the powers to implement the directive by legislative decree. A second reading approval is pending. 
• In Ireland, a Parliament joint committee consulted stakeholders and experts on the finalised general scheme and will consider submissions received ahead of holding hearings in early summer 2021.
• In Poland, the Committee on European Matters of Council of Ministers (i.e. the preparatory body of the council of ministers) accepted the draft law and recommended it to be adopted by the Permanent Committee of Council of Ministers.

Belgium (Wallonia), 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 Cullen International report.

In France, the government ordinance transposing the directive was published in the Official Journal. However, full transposition also requires the modification of two existing application decrees, which are expected to be ready in April 2021. The new rules will enter into force on 1 July 2021. 

As for other countries:

• In Croatia, Parliament started a first reading examination of the draft law on 4 February 2021. 
• The Spanish government has not tabled the draft law in Parliament yet.
• In Norway a public consultation on the draft law is expected in Q2 2021 and Parliament is expected to start examining it in Autumn 2021 at the earliest.

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