EU-court, to sanctify the broadcasting contribution: The purpose of the funds

The broadcasting contribution fee “in his running neither ox nor ass”: What is coined Erich Honecker on socialism (and which, he believed, incorrectly, that he August, to quote Bebel) applies to the court for the financing of public broadcasting. It is a firmly bricked in the earth and has stock. It was confirmed by administrative courts, constitutional courts on the Land, the Federal administrative court and the Federal constitutional court and now also by the European court of justice.

The licence fee, so the on Thursday in Luxembourg judgment (Az.: C-492/17), in comparison to the to 2013 applicable licence fee “no significant Change” in the financing of the Public service. Therefore, the permission, which the EU Commission in 2007 for the fee was still valid.

as then, the broadcasting fee, the licence fee is not contrary today against the EU law on state aid. State aid to intervene in the market competition, are prohibited in the EU as we know. However, there are a number of exceptions to such a broadcasting fee declared at the time.

the ECJ by the regional court of Tübingen, clarification requested, this is now a one-to-one transfers to the licence fee and ARD, ZDF and Germany radio the green light is for contribution revenue of about eight billion euros per year, was to be expected. Finally, the advocate General of the court of justice, Manuel Campos Sánchez-Bordona had, in his conclusion to the process in September already and nothing on the German radio to complain about contribution.

That its nomenclature has completely changed and it no longer matters whether one owns a radio; to not receive that the mere possibility of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio, the obligation to pay the contribution established is of great interest to the advocate General and the court of the EU, simply.