Brussels, 22/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The long awaited agreement over the budget of the new aid programme to the European audiovisual industry. "Media Plus", should finally intervene during the Culture Council this Thursday. The latest meetings of the EU 15 at the level of the permanent representatives to Brussels (Coreper) left the hope that the three most reticent delegations (Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) will rally to the Commission proposal: EUR 400 million over five years, of which 350 million for the development, distribution and promotion of European works, and 50 million for training (see EUROPE of 20/21 November, p.8). This session will either way form the last opportunity for the programme to enter into force as planned on 1 January 2001. The professionals in the film industry have widely mobilised in the last days in favour of it. Notably a petition was gathered, under the auspices of the Federation of European Film Directors (FERA) the signing of more than 120 professional associations and numerous personalities from the world of film.
This last session of the Culture Council under the Presidency of Catherine Tasca, French Minister for Culture and Communication, will also be the opportunity to return to the highly sensitive issues in France, such as the price of books, the future of the financing of State television and national aid to film. Below is the agenda of the session:
- Support programme to the audiovisual industry, Media Plus: The multiannual budget of the programme and its breakdown are the last points left in limbo during the Culture Council of 26 September, specially dedicated to Media Plus. Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom had put forward their questions as to the fairness of access to the programme, the transparency of its execution and the assessment of Media Plus (1996-2000). In a letter sent to the EU 15 Ministers, the European Commission for Culture, Viviane Reding, has since then "bought the proof that the operators from all Member States benefited from Media 2, British films for example having occupied the first position in the distribution support mechanism, and she undertook to pass on the motives of the Commission to the requestor for support", indicated her spokesperson. The Commissioner also defended the assessment of the Media 2 programme (still provisional): the proportion of European films distributed outside their country of origin went from 13.7% in 1996 to 22.2% in 1999, and in September, the programme had helped in the development of 1,350 European works, in the promotion and distribution of 360 films, in the production and broadcasting of 275 television works and financed 350 halls, 64 cinema festivals, etc.
If an agreement on a budget of EUR 400 million now seems acquired, questions remain on the indicative budgetary breakdown for the "development" side of the programme. Some countries (the small States that do not have any domestic distributors) want to give greater importance to aid for the development while others (the large countries such as Germany, France or Spain have distributors) want to emphasis aid for distribution. Before the final adoption of the programme, the European Parliament will have to vote in second reading on the "training" part of the programme (the only one being the object of the codecision procedure). European sources state, they could rally to the EU 15 position, if it corresponds to a total budget of 400 million (or an increase compared to the Media 2 budget, which was EUR 310 million over five years).
- State aid to film and audiovisual. The Council will adopt a resolution calling on the European Commission tio take into account the cultural aspect of films and calls for greater legal security for the sector, with regards to the use of aid mechanisms at the national level. The Commission started the review of all of these aid systems (by approving for the moment all those it has examined), and prepare for 2001 a communication on the legal aspects linked to film, of which a chapter will cover aid.
- Future of public audiovisual service. The EU 15 will have an exchange of views on this issue already raised during their informal meeting in Lille, in July. Most of the delegations were in favour of greater legal security for public radio broadcasts benefiting from mixed financing (public and advertising), through for example the publication by the Commission of guidelines. The European Executive has not yet completed its reflection on the issue. It should, either way finalise its opinion during next year over the complaints by private operators against State television for unfair competition.
- Price of books. The Council will adopt a resolution inviting the Commission to pay special attention to the risks surrounding the national systems of fixed prices, to the consequences of the development of electronic commerce and issues linked to the importing between countries practising a fixed price system.
- Architectural quality of urban and rural environment. The Council will adopt a resolution calling for a better acknowledgement of the architectural quality of EU policies as a whole.
- European Culture Capital. The Council will approve the nomination of its two representatives on the jury called on to give their judgement on the capitals for the years 2005-2019: French national Bernard Faivre d'Arcier and Portuguese national Antonio Mega Ferreira.
The Council Presidency, moreover, will take stock of the situation concerning the audiovisual partnerships with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean rim countries and on the follow-up to the e-Europe action plan in the cultural field.
