Council of the European Union: MEDIA II Decisions published

IRIS 1996-2:1/7

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

In IRIS 1995-8: 6 we announced that the Council of the European Union had approved the Commission's proposals for a MEDIA II programme relating to development and distribution. This Decision has now been published in the Official Journal of 30 December 1995. In the same Official Journal, the Decision of the Council on the Commission's proposals for a MEDIA II programme relating to training was published. The first Decision aims at improving development opportunities (pre-production) for drama, documentaries and animation and with a view to access to the European and world market:

- by supporting the development of drama, documentaries and animation (cinema and television) presented by businesses which are aimed at a European and world audience through the provision of assistance (planning and/or financial support) for writing techniques (workshops, a screenplay team etc.) for the establishment of the financial arrangements and the business plan; by encouraging a favourable environment for initiative and development by companies that have development project packages with in particular, European market potential and by encouraging their networking;

- by encouraging a favourable environment for initiative and development by companies in the sector of new technology and animation which present development projects aimed, in particular, at the European market, and by promoting their networking.

The first decision also aims at the strengthening of distribution of European films, videos and television programmes both within and outside Europe. To reach this objective, the following actions will be undertaken. In regards to video and cinema distribution:

- the establishment of a system of subsidy, repayable, for cinema distributors and video publishers of European films;

- the establishment of a system of subsidy for European distributors proportionate to cinema attendance for European films outside their national territory up to an upper limit fixed per film and graded according to each country. The subsidy generated this way can only be used by distributors to be invested in the production of European films which have a distribution potential, in particular, on the European market, and in the meeting of editorial costs (taking of copies, dubbing and subtitling), promotion and advertising costs.

- the establishment of a system of support, for example in the form of guaranteed receipts, also intended to encourage exhibitors to put forward a significant showing of European films in commercial first appearance cinemas for a minimum period of exhibition time.

In regards to television broadcasting:

- measures encouraging independent producers to produce works (fiction, documentary and animation) involving the participation of at least two broadcasters from several Member States belonging particularly to different linguistic zones and encouraging the broadcasting of such works;

- measures actively supporting linguistic diversity of these works (dubbing, subtitling and multilingual production).

In regard to promotion and market access: measures improving access for independent producers and distributors to the European and world market through promotion, assistance and bringing enterprises together at commercial events (markets, fairs, festivals and other fora for meetings), organized at European and world level. The second decision dates from 22 December 1995 and aims at supporting and supplementing the actions undertaken by Member States, to help people in the audiovisual industry adapt to the European dimension of the market by promoting vocational training in the field of economic and commercial management, including legal aspects, and new technologies (including the protection and enhancement of the European film and audiovisual heritage). (Ad van Loon European Audiovisual Observatory)