Belgium

[BE] Parliament Votes for New Decree on the Financial Support of Audiovisual Productions

IRIS 1999-5:1/9

Dirk Voorhoof

Human Rights Centre, Ghent University and Legal Human Academy

The reorganisation in 1993 and 1994 of financial support for film productions in the Flemish Community did not live up to expectations. For this reason the Minister for Media drew up in 1998 a new plan for the allocation of subsidies for the audiovisual sector ( Beleidsplan Film in Vlaanderen, Parl. St., Vlaams Parlement, 1997-1998, nr. 1125 ).

In accordance with this plan Parliament passed a new decree in order to replace the legal framework concerning the subsidising of the audiovisual sector in the Flemish Community ( Decree of 22 December 1993 and Decision of the Flemish Government of 23 February 1994 ). The existing Flemish Audiovisual Fund ( Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds ) will be reorganised and given a higher degree of autonomy than it had enjoyed previously. The new Fund will be more flexible and will be integrated into an independent corporation. An agreement between the Flemish Government and the new Fund will determine the amount of the annual Government subsidy and will contain the criteria and the basic rules of procedure and management according to which the new Fund will be able to finance audiovisual productions in certain categories. Apart from the annual subsidy by the Flemish Government, the new Fund will also have other sources of finance at its disposal, such as income from European projects. The objective of the Fund is to stimulate independent audiovisual production within the Flemish Community. In allocating financial support the Fund will base its decisions on criteria such as quality, diversity, range and cultural emanation. The Fund will be obliged to publish an annual report on its activities, which will be communicated to the Government as well as to Parliament. It is expected that it will take some months to negotiate the agreement between the Government and the new Fund and to reorganise the Flemish Audiovisual Fund.


References

  • Decreet houdende machtiging van de Vlaamse regering om toe te treden tot en om mee te werken aan de oprichting van de vereniging zonder winstgevend doel Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds. Parl. St., Vlaams Parlement, 1998–1999, nr. 1273.
  • Decree of the Flemish Parliament of 31 March 1999 providing for the participation of the Flemish Government in the Flemish Audiovisual Fund corporation, Parl. St., Vlaams Parlement, 1998–1999, nr. 1273.

This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.