EU Ministers' priorities for the audiovisual sector and young creatives

IRIS 2025-6:1/7

Justine Radel-Cormann

European Audiovisual Observatory

Many significant developments for the cultural sector emerged from the recent meeting of EU ministers for education, youth, culture, and sports, held on 12 and 13 May 2025. The Council of the EU adopted conclusions on assessing the legal framework for audiovisual media services and video-sharing platform services, in anticipation of the upcoming evaluation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). Additionally, the Council adopted conclusions on supporting young artists and cultural and creative professionals as they begin their careers.

Key priorities for the audiovisual sector:

Ministers called on the European Commission to review the scope of the AVMSD, particularly whether professional content creators on video-sharing platforms (VSPs) should be included under the directive. 

The Council emphasised the need to ensure robust protection for minors on these VSPs and called for clarification of how the AVMSD and the Digital Services Act interact in this area.

Given the increasing volume of content hosted by VSPs, the Council recommended evaluating whether current AVMSD rules are sufficient to protect the public from potentially harmful content. Addressing the spread of disinformation and foreign information manipulation was also highlighted, with suggestions to strengthen prominence measures and consider public support for media service providers.

Ministers discussed the accessibility of events of major societal importance, questioning whether existing AVMSD rules (currently applicable only to broadcasters) remain adequate in light of the rise of other media services (often with restricted or paid access). Cross-border issues and enhanced cooperation between national regulatory authorities, especially concerning video-sharing platform providers, were also identified as areas for further attention.

Supporting young artists:

The Council’s conclusions recognise the challenges faced by young artists and cultural and creative professionals entering the labour market, such as precarious working conditions, unpredictable income, weak negotiating positions, and limited access to social security. To address these issues, the Council encourages both Member States and the Commission to evaluate the current framework and promote initiatives—such as Creative Europe—that support young creatives.