HAKOM: If Italy fulfils its obligations under the agreement, interferences with Croatian TV channels will be significantly reduced by April 2016

ZAGREB, 4 November 2015 – After a few postponements, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) finally adopted a regulation that served as a basis for the public invitation to Italian broadcasters of television content to participate in the procedure for voluntary freeing up of radio and television frequencies causing interferences to TV signals of neighbouring countries in the period between 2 November and 1 December 2015. The Italian Ministry allocated funds amounting to EUR 50,826,000 to this process, and the replacement frequency channels for broadcasters planning to continue broadcasting. 
 
This regulation results from long-lasting efforts of the Croatian Regulatory Authority of Network Industries (HAKOM) to eliminate, within the framework international institutions, the problem of Italian interferences affecting Croatian television and radio channels for years. Within the framework of the Radio Regulations Board of the International Telecommunications Union, HAKOM instituted a dispute resolution mechanism concerning the interferences and following the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union, HAKOM  started an initiative and became actively involved in the resolution of the problem of interferences between Italy and the neighbouring countries through the Working Group on International Coordination with the Radio Spectrum Policy Group of the European Commission. The activities of the Republic of Croatia and HAKOM’s expects in international activities resulted in three regulations with legislative force adopted by Italy. The regulations amended the TV frequency plan including frequencies interfering with the neighbouring countries and founded a compensation fund and funds for the switching off of the interfering transmitters amounting to HRK 50,826.00.and prescribed the switching off procedure.
 
The above-mentioned regulation adopted by MISE refers to the procedure and deadline for the application of compensation funds pursuant to Regulation No. 129, published on 6 June of this year, and referring to the switching off of transmitters of local and regional TV networks causing interferences in Croatia and other neighbouring countries. According to the schedule, the releasing of frequencies should last around six months. In that period of time, broadcaster’s requests will be received for a month, out of which 15 to 30 days will be used for the analysis and publication of results of applications for compensations with deadlines for switching off carried out by MISE. It is expected that another three months will be necessary for the turning off of transmitters for which a compensation is envisaged.

If the Italian side abides by the deadlines set at meetings of the cross-border cooperation group, it may expect that interferences on the same channels, in the TV band will be significantly reduced by April 2016. The entire process is a result of cooperation between Croatian institutions and broadcasters and HAKOM’s systematic activities undertaken with international institutions on this issue in the last years. HAKOM continuously cooperated with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Ministry of the Sea, Transport an Infrastructure, the Electronic Media Agency, Odašiljači i veze d.o.o. and affected injured Croatian broadcasters.

ABOUT HAKOM: HAKOM (www.hakom.hr) - Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries – ensures preconditions for a fair market competition, stable growth and environment for innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market. HAKOM protects users’ interests and the possibility of choice among various communications and postal services at affordable prices, defines sustainable competitive conditions for operators and service providers under fair conditions for return on investment, and provides support to economic growth, public services and the quality of life in the Republic of Croatia by using modern technologies. HAKOM’ strategic goals are: to promote regulation of the electronic communications and postal services market, to support growth of investments and innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market, to provide efficient use of limited resources, to accelerate the growth of broadband products and services, to provide affordable offers of communications and postal services, to provide protection and informing of users, to build an efficient and comprehensive information system, to define and implement efficient processes, and to acquire multi-disciplinary competencies in market regulation.