The European works quota is the obligation on television broadcasters holding a national terrestrial broadcasting licence to devote a defined share of their transmission time to European productions. Article 15 of Law No. 6112 sets two separate rates, both calculated on the same base.
Who is covered
The article narrows the scope expressly: “television broadcasters holding a national terrestrial broadcasting licence”. The obligation therefore does not extend to radio broadcasters or to local and regional terrestrial broadcasters. On-demand providers are subject to a different and lighter regime, discussed below.
The two quotas
| Quota | Rate | Calculated on | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| European works | At least 50% | Transmission time (after the deductions below) | Art. 15/1(a) |
| European works produced by independent producers | 10% | The same transmission time or the programme budget | Art. 15/1(b) |
The conjunction “or” in the second quota matters: the Law gives the broadcaster a choice — the rate may be calculated either on transmission time or on the programme budget.
What is deducted from the base
The quotas are calculated not on total transmission time but on what remains after certain items are deducted. Article 15/1 lists them:
- News
- Sports events
- Competitions
- Advertisements
- Teleshopping
- Associated data broadcasts
So after those six items are removed from a channel’s daily schedule, at least half of the remaining time must be devoted to European works. The deduction pushes the quota in practice toward programme types such as series, films and documentaries.
The text of Article 15/1
“Television broadcasters holding a national terrestrial broadcasting licence shall be obliged to devote: (a) at least fifty per cent of the transmission time remaining outside the time allocated to news, sports events, competitions, advertisements, teleshopping and associated data broadcasts to European works; (b) ten per cent of the transmission time, or of the programme budget, remaining outside the time allocated to news, sports events, competitions, advertisements, teleshopping and associated data broadcasts to European works produced by independent producers.”
On-demand services: encouragement, not obligation
Article 15/2 uses a different verb: “The procedures and principles that will encourage on-demand broadcasting service providers to support the production of and access to European works shall be determined by the Supreme Council.”
The verb is not “shall be obliged” but “shall encourage”. For on-demand services the Law sets no direct rate and leaves the procedures and principles to RTUK.
| Service type | Obligation | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| National terrestrial television | 50% European works + 10% independent producers — mandatory | Art. 15/1 |
| On-demand broadcasting service | Procedures and principles that will encourage support | Art. 15/2 |
| Radio, local and regional television | Outside the scope of Art. 15 | Wording of Art. 15/1 |
The definitions of “European work” and “independent producer”
Article 15 does not separately define these terms; they are read from the definitions article of Law No. 6112 and from RTUK’s secondary regulation. Before compiling a quota report, verify from the regulation in force which productions count as European works and what the independent producer test is.
The measurement period
Article 15 specifies no measurement period (daily, monthly or annual). The period and the reporting procedure fall within the area the Law leaves to RTUK. In practice quota reporting is carried out on annual periods, but the applicable period should be verified from the regulation in force.
Sanctions
A breach of Article 15 falls under Article 32/2: an administrative fine of one to three per cent of the gross commercial communication revenue for the month preceding detection, not less than TRY 1,000 for radio and TRY 10,000 for television and on-demand services. Because a quota breach is continuing in nature the risk of repetition is high: under the second track of Article 32/5, more than twenty breaches within one year start the ladder of suspension for up to five days.
Planning programme acquisition around the quota target is both cheaper and safer than trying to close a gap mid-season.
Advertising and teleshopping times are covered in the advertising time guide and loss of licence conditions in the licence revocation guide.