Meeting in plenary session on Thursday 23 October, MEPs debated the obligations set out in the Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive (see EUROPE 13178/11).
The European Parliament has therefore put two oral questions to the Commission, asking whether a weakening of the principles of the Directive would risk compromising the European cultural model in the face of strong international competition, and whether the Commission intends to confirm the importance of this text as a tool of cultural sovereignty and diversity both in the dialogue with the United States and in the run-up to its revision, scheduled for 2026.
The Directive, adopted in 2010 and revised in 2018, is the cornerstone of the EU’s audiovisual policy. In particular, it requires television services and video-on-demand platforms to reserve a substantial proportion of their catalogues for European works, with a minimum quota of 30%, and to contribute to the funding of local production.
These obligations are being challenged by recent statements by US President Donald Trump.
On 29 September, France confirmed its intention to impose 100% customs duties on foreign films.
It accuses the EU in particular, but also other countries, of attracting film shoots thanks to their tax incentives. European obligations to produce and distribute local works are directly perceived as a threat by Washington.
According to Nela Riehl (Greens/EFA, German), Chair of Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) and author of the questions, the response must be clear. “Our cultural sovereignty is not for sale (...) Culture will never be (...) a bargaining chip in any trade negotiation”.
She therefore insisted in the Chamber on the role of the Directive as a “shield” for European narratives.
Speaking on behalf of the European Commission, Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing, said: “The Directive has long formed the basis of European legislation on audiovisual content. (...) It ensures that audiovisual service providers operating in the EU contribute".
He confirmed that a full evaluation would be presented in 2026, with particular attention to the visibility of European works, the regulation of influencers and the protection of minors.
The speeches from the political groups converged on a defence of the directive. Sabine Verheyen (EPP, German) declared: “The Directive (...) is not a bureaucratic obstacle, but an expression of European sovereignty”.
“European cinema has no place on Trump’s negotiating table”, said Hannes Heide (S&D, Austrian).
Catherine Griset (Patriots for Europe, French) stressed that “Hollywood doesn’t need help to impose itself in Europe”.
Laurence Farreng (Renew Europe, French) denounced Donald Trump’s “obsession” with “attacking European laws”, assuring that the EU would continue to “defend its talents”.
In addition, as several MEPs pointed out, American productions dominate European screens, accounting for 70.1% of the market share in 2023, according to figures from the European Audiovisual Observatory (Council of Europe) (https://aeur.eu/f/j4o ). (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)