Brussels, 11/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is considering extending the MEDIA programme (to promote the development and the distribution of European films) and set up a new MEDIA MUNDUS programme to strengthen cultural and commercial relations between Europe's film industry and film-makers from third countries. This new programme could help audiovisual professionals from Europe and their counterparts outside the EU to reciprocally improve their competitiveness by better exploiting the potential for joint projects, such as the development, distribution and promotion of audiovisual works, the Commission says. The MEDIA MUNDUS programme would follow the model of the student exchange programme ERASMUS MUNDUS which was added to the ERASMUS programme in 2001. A public online consultation process on the main features and priorities of a possible MEDIA MUNDUS programme will be open until 15 June 2008 and a public hearing will be held in Brussels on 25 June. In the light of the reactions it receives, the Commission will bring forward a proposal on the possible MEDIA MUNDUS programme before the end of the year. The idea has already received the backing of the culture ministers who took part in Europe Day 2008 at the Cannes festival. In December 2007, the Commission, with the support of the European Parliament and the Council of Culture Ministers, launched the preparatory action “MEDIA International”. With a budget of €2 million in 2008, “MEDIA International” aims to strengthen exchanges between audiovisual professionals in the EU and third countries sharing the same priority for cultural diversity. It will run for up to three years and test ways of facilitating deals and widening networks between EU and third countries' professionals to mutual benefit. “The cultural diversity of Europe's cinema and the attractiveness of our MEDIA programme have led to repeated requests from film-makers from South America, Asia, Russia and other continents to build bridges with Europe's audiovisual markets in order to mutually boost their potentials,” said EU Media Commissioner
Viviane Reding. (I.L./transl.rt)