Brian Ovens 
[FOI #12553 email] 
 
9 June 2009 
 
 
Dear Mr Ovens 
 
Freedom of information request – RFI20090812 
 
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“the Act”) dated 28 May 
2009, seeking: 
 
“I would like to know, if you are financed by the European union and if so, why?“ 
 
The BBC does occasionally receive some EU funding in relation to specific educational or research 
and development projects.  Examples of projects which have benefited from EU funding are: 
 
  A project to provide assistance to learners and tutors using the BBC’s online Skillswise and 
Webwise sites, which provide literacy, numeracy and IT skills resources, and 
  A project to develop technology to enable the digitisation and preservation of the BBC 
archive. 
 
The BBC may not, and does not, receive funding from the EU or any other organisation linked to 
content production or editorial decisions about the production of BBC content or services. 
 
The BBC’s Charter requires that “the BBC shall be independent in all matters concerning the 
content of its output…” (paragraph 6(1)).  This is reinforced in the BBC Editorial Guidelines, 
which state that, in relation to programming, “The BBC must retain editorial control for a co-
funded programme and it is essential that the programme does not promote the funder and we 
must not accept funds from any organisation whose interests or activities could raise doubts about 
the objectivity of the programme”. (chapter 14). 
 
 
 
 
 

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Appeal Rights 
If you are not satisfied with this response you have the right to an internal review by a BBC senior 
manager or legal adviser. Please contact us at the address above, explaining what you would like us 
to review and including your reference number. If you are not satisfied with the internal review, 
you can appeal to the Information Commissioner. The contact details are:  Information 
Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 
01625 545 700 or see http://www.ico.gov.uk/ 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
Nigel Etienne 
Projects & Planning Manager, BBC Finance 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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