Ofcom
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London SE1 9HA
United Kingdom
Phone call : +44(0)300 123 3333 or +44(0)20 7981 3040
Open Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm.
The media sector is organized on an equilibrium between the principle of competition and other concerns like information pluralism. Generally, competition Law by making market accessible to many competitors ensures information pluralism. But, this is not the case if an operator get an excessive market power, running risk not only for competition but also for information pluralism. It is the reason why the Italian legal system forbids the constitution of an operator gathering more than 40% of the total income generated by the media sector or more than 10% of the total income generated by the Italian communication sector.
In 2016, Vivendi, a French media group, got more than 28% of the Mediaset Group's actions and around 30% of its voting right. The Italian communication regulation authority sized by Mediaset demands in 2017 to Vivendi to ends its participations in the group Mediaset. Vivendi contested this decision before the regional administrative court which referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union in order to know if freedom of establishment can legitimately be discarded in favor of information pluralism in this concrete case. The Court of Justice answered, in a decision of 3rd of September 2020, that the restriction of the freedom of establishment can in principle be justified by a general interest objective such as information pluralism protection but that in this concrete case, this is not justified because the fact that a firm is committed in the transmission of contents does not necessarily give it the power to control the production of such contents.
We can learn three lessons form this case:
The Court precises that even if the principle is the freedom of establishment, it is possible to discard it to protect information pluralism protection under the condition that the concerned member State do not use this legitimate power to create a political monopoly, the burden of proof falling on the person attacking national legislation and not on the Member State.
The Court distinguishes transmission of contents and production of contents and explains that if the State rejects this decision, the burden falling to it to prove the concrete links between these two activities.
This case shows that the power to share the respective places of the "principle" and of the "exception" always comes back to the judges.
India is transforming its energy policy, because it depends too much of coal and plans to expand its nuclear industry. Its agency, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is in charge of overseeing nuclear security. But the Indian Court of Auditors issued a report on 16 August 2012, claimed that such a nuclear deployment could not take place only if the agency is structurally modified. Indeed, it is currently dependent on the federal Government, while independence is required for any regulator. In addition, it has no real powers of control and intervention. It is therefore not a true regulator, and in these conditions, expand nuclear energy would constitute a great risk.
In Les 100 mots de la régulation (“Regulation in 100 Words”), Marie-Anne Frison-Roche clearly and pedagogically identifies and defines the vocabulary of regulation by making sure, from the introduction, to firmly distinguish between regulation and rule making. Regulation is the maintenance of various balances between principles, rules, and economic and social realities. Rule making is the translation of a collective will emanating from lawmakers or judges, be they national, European, or international.
In the same way that internationally, a private association ICANN, operates on Internet domain names, a number of domain names that are more specific to the France (such as "free" or "pm.") are managed by L’Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération (AFNIC- the French Co-operative Association for Internet Names). This association is composed of individuals but also of representatives of ministries. It has the normative authority of "naming", i.e. the power to allow the use of such or such letter. The alphabet is a convention, a set of standards as one another, also arbitrary and binding than another, also ideological and powerful than another. However, so far, only "low" letters could be used, it is - be a latin alphabet without accent. From May, 3 2012, the accents will be allowed. That is progress, that the association it's justified by the aim at becoming closer its standards of the French language and surnames.
Internet needs to be regulated, but by whom and from what criteria?
The high speed building of very different cases shows the urgency of reflections on the principles.
Consider the case in which just entered the British Regulatory Authority Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Thiss Authority isn't specific to the Internet but the fact the behavior takes place on the Internet doesn't stop the Regulator, the ASA applying its control on "all media".
An Irish betting company organized bets about a future event: conviction or acquittal of Oscar Pistorus for the death of his fiancée. The latter doesn't deny being the author of the fatal blow but claims that he isn't responsible legally.
The website reproduces the accused of a very recognizable way in the form of an Oscar statuette. This is due to the homonymous first name and the statue of the reward. But this is also a triple ambiguity created by the company.
Secondly the statue can't walk as the athlete si one takes off his prosthetic that made him win races.
Thirdly and more than that, if convicted, he remains in prison, Oscar Pistorum would continue to be deprived of his freedom to come and go, and therefore still unable to "walk" freely, the betting firm indicating that it will reimburses money if the accused will "walk" (out of prison - as a sort of miracle ...).
_____
Watchingthat, more than 5,000 people protested. But before whom? In this excess of regulators, people turn to perhaps the most dynamic: in the UK it is probably the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) .
But what to blame?
One could have said that it is illegal to bet on the outcome of a trial.
One could argue that you can't bet about a terrible history, whose center is the death of a young woman.
But it's rather toward the disability side and "minority rights" that the case is taking shape. Indeed, associations see it as primarily a mockery of people who can't walk.
Without further developed if the ASA takes a position on this advertising that the company has since removed, it will take a strong position in the regulation of the Internet and could for example clarify and prioritize the interests that must be respect in the virtual world.
Germany is characterized in that in Europe generally has refused liberalization of the gambling industry. For this, it will incur remonstrance’s from the European Commission. But this issue is the responsibility of the Länder. That is why, when the Land of Schleswig-Holsteing decided in April 2011 to open the sector to competition online games, Everyone saw a sign of liberalism and compliance with European lines.
But the government of this land has changed in May 2012 to make way for a coalition, it seems more favorable to a closure of that activity or, at lesse, should be left to public monopolies.
However, on September 2, 5 licenses are to be given by that Government to the major operators of online games, which shows that the line previously adopted market-opening games online is maintained, unlike the rest of the Germany.
In Spain, the liberalization and legalizalisation of online games, provided by the Act for January 2012, was postponed in June 2012. The licensing by the regulator is in preparation. These licenses may relate to all kinds of games including sports betting and casino games, excluding slot machines. But the Spanish tax services informed that an implied condition of approval of an operator candidate for obtaining a licence existed: payment of taxes due in Spain. However, many companies, whose headquarters is located in another country, have high arrears of taxes calculated by the administration. It can be noticed that the fiscal interests of the States is a key element in the regulation of the games, that can interfere with the mechanism, which appears however distinct from the approval by the regulator.
The Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht - BaFin (the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) issued on Tuesday May 18th 2010 three decrees prohibiting temporarily naked short selling. These decisions are effective from May 19th 2010 until March 31th 2011. They will be regularly assessed and can be lifted during this period.
FRENCH
La Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht - BaFin (l’autorité allemande de surveillance des marchés financiers) a interdit par trois décrets publié le 18 mai 2010 la vente à découvert à nu et les CDS du 19 mai 2010 au 31 mars 2011.
La Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht - BaFin (l’autorité allemande de surveillance des marchés financiers) a publié mardi 18 mai 2010 trois décrets interdisant temporairement la vente à découvert à nu. Ces décrets prennent effet le 19 mai 2010 et durent jusqu’au 31 mars 2011. Ils seront régulièrement évalués et pourront être levés à n’importe quel moment durant cette période.
GERMAN
Die Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht - BaFin hat am 18. Mai 2010 die ungedeckte Leerverkäufe und ungedeckte CDS auf Staatsanleihen der Eurozone untersagt.
Die BaFin hat drei Anordnungen am 18. Mai 2010 herausgegeben. Sie untersagen die ungedeckte Leerverkäufe von Schuldtiteln von Staaten der Eurozone, die an einer inländischen Börse zum Handel im regulierten Markt zugelassen sind, so wie ungedeckte CDS. Diese Verbote gelten vom 19. Mai 2010 bis zum 31. März 2011 und werden laufend überprüft.
SPANISH
La Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – BaFin (la Autoridad Supervisora de Finanza Federal Alemana) prohíbe las ventas de cortos al descubierto y los CDS a través de tres decretos que se aplicarán entre el 19 de mayo 2010 hasta el 31 de marzo 2011.
La Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – BaFin (la Autoridad Supervisora de Finanza Federal Alemana) publicó tres decretos el 18 de mayo del 2010 prohibiendo temporalmente la vena de cortos al descubierto. Estas decisiones serán efectivas desde el 19 de mayo 2010 hasta el 31 de marzo 2011. Serán asesoradas regularmente y podrán ser desmanteladas en cualquier instante durante este periodo.
CHINESE
Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht - (BaFin：德国金融市场监管机构)于2010年5月18日出台三项法令，规定在2010年5月9日至2011年3月31日期间内禁止“裸卖空”和信贷违约掉期行为。
Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht - (BaFin：德国金融市场监管机构)于2010年5月18日出台三项法令暂时禁止“裸卖空”行为。这些法令将于2010年5月9日至2011年3月31日内生效。它们将被定期评估并且可能在上述期限的任何时间被撤销。
I would suspect that most regulatory law practitioners—whether they represent government or private interests--feel as if the tidewaters of global regulation have slowly but surely risen within the past few years. Those involved in the fields of competition, environmental or financial law must feel as if the global regulatory waters have reached up to their knees.
FRANCAIS
Article: le G-20 et la régulation économique mondiale: un moyen d'alimenter le développement progressif du droit international?
Je soupçonnerai volontiers que la majorité des praticiens du droit de la régulation - qu'ils représentent les gouvernements ou des intérêts publics - ont le sentiment que les eaux de la régulation mondiale ont monté lentement mais sûrement au cours des dernières années. Ceux qui exercent dans les domaines légaux de la concurrence, de l'environnement ou de la finance doivent eux avoir l'impression qu'elles ont atteint leurs genoux.
GERMAN
Artikel; Die G-20 und die globale wirtschaftliche Regulierung: ein Beitrag zur Entwicklung des internationalen Privatenrechtes?
Ich vermute, dass die meisten Praktiker des Regulierungsrechtes - entweder für öffentlichen- oder privaten Institutionnen arbeitend - das Gefühl haben, dass die Gewässer der globalen Regulierung letztlich langsam aber sicher angestiegen sind. Und diejenigen, die im Bereich Wettbewerb, Umwelt oder Finanz arbeiten, haben sicher das Gefühl, dass die Gewässer schon kniehoch sind.
ITALIAN
Il G20 e la regolazione economica globale: verso l’alimentazione di uno sviluppo progressivo del diritto internazionale?
Direi che la gran parte degli operatori in materia di regolazione normativa – portatori di interessi pubblici o privati – hanno la sensazione che la marea della regolazione economica globale sia, seppur lentamente, sicuramente salita negli ultimi anni. Coloro che operano in materia di diritto della concorrenza, diritto dell’ambiente o diritto finanziario devono aver la sensazione che le acque della regolazione siano arrivate fino alle ginocchia.
El G-20 y la regulación económica global: ¿alimentando el desarrollo progresivo del derecho internacional?
Yo sospecharía que la mayoría de aquellos que practican la ley – ya sea que representen los intereses públicos o privados – se sienten como si las aguas de la regulación global han aumentado lentamente durante los últimos años. Aquellos que están involucrados en el campo de la competición o las leyes ambientales o financieras ya deben de sentirse como si las aguas de la regulación global les han llegado hasta las rodillas.
