Against the backdrop of globalisation and convergence, the need for increased co-operation between European regulatory authorities has been highlighted repeatedly.

Set up in April 1995 in Malta, the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities aims at providing a forum:

• for informal discussion and exchange of views between regulatory authorities in the broadcasting field
• for exchange of information about common issues of national and European broadcasting regulation
• for discussion of practical solutions to legal problems regarding the interpretation and application of broadcasting regulation.

Rather than pursuing national directives or acting as a tribune of common declarations, EPRA provides an open platform for discussions on a wide variety of relevant topics to regulators.

Up to now, 51 regulatory authorities from 42 countries in Europe have become members of the EPRA. The European Commission and the Council of Europe are standing observers of the Platform.

The EPRA holds two meetings a year at the invitation of a regulatory authority, usually one in Spring and the second one in Autumn. The next meeting of the EPRA is scheduled for 29-31 October 2008 in Dublin at the invitation of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).

The Secretariat of the EPRA is currently based in Strasbourg (France) and is hosted by the European Audiovisual Observatory.

The EPRA Board Association, a non-profit association under Alsatian law, is in charge of administering and legally representing the EPRA in its daily business. The Association is registered at the Association Registry of the Court of First Instance in Strasbourg.

For further information, please contact :
Emmanuelle Machet, Secretary to the EPRA
e-mail: info@epra.org