Brussels, 08/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - "The aim of our work is to give, from 2005 to 2009, a legal framework to public aid to the film industry. The Commission is consulting Member States and professionals of the sector to achieve, as in 2001, the most satisfying solution for the largest number", Commissioner Viviane Reding said the day before the technical meeting of 9 January between representatives of Member State governments and Commission specialists to discuss a working document in which the latter proposes ways and legal protection for aid to the film industry until 2009. A meeting with cinema professionals will be held on 19 January.
The Commission (Article 87, paragraph 3, of the Treaty) grants exemption to State aid under cultural exception, Frédéric Vincent, Ms Reding's spokesman, recalled. On 26 September 2001, the Commission had published a communication clarifying the criteria for aid to the film industry and especially the question of territorialisation of aid (to finance his films, a producer addresses a national or regional organisation for funding on condition that up to 80% of the budget is spent in the country where the producer receives the money). The Commission notes that this results in fragmentation of the market of the European production system, when it wants a real European cinema industry, the spokesman said.