The European Commission is being urged to co-ordinate dates when countries switch from analogue to digital broadcasts.

Several leading broadcasters suggested at last week’s European audio-visual conference, held in Birmingham, that the Commission recommends a Europe-wide cutoff date for analogue TV but leaves it to individual countries to decide the exact timing.

Dieter Hahn, MD of the Kirch Group, the German media company, says the continent must ensure it does not fall behind the timetables set by the US and Japan, both of which have set a provisional date of 2006 for switching to digital signals.

‘Europe would do itself a great dis-service if it were to go slower than its main competitors,’ he said.But several European broadcast and culture ministers, attending the conference, suggest that a Europe-wide approach is not appropriate.

Chris Smith, the UK’s culture secretary, says it is more important to set a credible date for the switchover that encourages the growth of digital services yet allows time for consumers to change their TV sets in an orderly fashion.

Richard Dunn, chairman of the TV Corporation, says the Commission’s role should be limited to guiding those members that wish to proceed slowly.

A spokesman for the Commission says it is looking at the role it should play, and how countries should proceed with auctioning or selling off the analogue spectrum for other comms services.