Spain

[ES] Catalan Decree on Quotas for Films in Catalan

IRIS 1998-9:1/14

Alberto Pérez Gómez

Entidad publica empresarial RED.ES

The Catalan Government has passed a Decree on the promotion of films dubbed or subtitled in Catalan. This Decree implements Article 28 of the Catalan Law 1/1998, on linguistic policy ( Ley catalana de política lingüística). According to the Decree, if a cinema company wants to distribute dubbed films in Catalonia, half of its copies of successful films ( i.e., those with more than 17 copies distributed within Catalonia) must be dubbed in Catalan. Also the film companies must per year distribute 25% of their dubbed and subtitled film copies in Catalan. The première of a film dubbed in Catalan must take place before or at least in parallel with the première of the film in any other dubbed version. Cinema theatres must show per year one day's exhibition of films dubbed or produced in Catalan for each three days' exhibition of films dubbed in Spanish or in other languages. A similar exhibition quota applies to the films subtitled in Catalan. Breach of these provisions can be sanctioned with fines up to 10 million pesetas (approx. 60.000 Euros). The Decree comes into effect six months after its publication. The Transitional Provision includes some exceptions to the full application of the Decree, which will take place in the year 2002.

This Decree is a further step in the controversy between the Catalan Government and the Central Government that arose after the approval in January of the Catalan Law on Linguistic Policy. This law introduced the obligation for the film industry and radio and TV broadcasters to comply with quotas for audiovisual works in Catalan, including a quota for broadcasting songs in Catalan. The Catalan Government is now working on the passing of a Decree for the implementation of the provisions of this Law in the radio sector. http://services.obs.coe.int/en/index.htm