Brussels, 20/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (CEDC) are satisfied - and relieved - by the positive progress made on the new text of the communication on new rules applicable to state aid for cinematographic and audiovisual works, which was adopted by the European Commission on 14 November and which lays down the criteria for the validity of aid to audiovisual and the cinema under European rules. Despite the Commission's initial preference to limit the principle of territoriality and to ban restrictions on the origin of goods and services, the text voted on by the College of Commissioners overall keeps in place the current system of aid to the cinema in the European countries, the CEDC is pleased to note. This means that the text adopted will still allow the states or regions to make aid conditional on a particular part of the budget of a film being spent on their territory. The CEDC approves the general economy of the text, which has managed to take account of the specific nature of audiovisual and cultural works, as recognised by the European Treaties and the UNESCO Convention of 2005 promoting the diversity of cultural expressions. However, it laments the fact that "so much time and energy" has had to be spent on safeguarding a positive model for supporting creativity, which the coalitions feel has been unjustly called into question.
More generally, the European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity hope that this change of stance, which will not end up fragmenting policies in favour of the cinema, will herald a new round of relations with the Commission, which should and must make defending cultural diversity one of its priorities.
The cinema communication, which has applied only to state aid granted to cinematographic production since 2001, now includes all stages of an audiovisual work, from conception to public distribution, including writing and cinema exhibition. This means that cinemas will have the possibility of receiving increased support, particularly for the digitalisation of cinemas. The Commission has also broadly kept in place the option of territorialisation of aid, so that the states will be able to continue to make their support conditional upon local expenditure, subject to certain rules (see EUROPE 10963). (IL/transl.fl)