Brussels, 12/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 9 January, the European Commission adopted a broad international cooperation programme for the audiovisual industry. The MEDIA MUNDUS programme will help strengthen cultural and commercial relations between Europe's film industry and film-makers from third countries. The new programme will cover the period from 2011-2013 and will have a budget of €15 million for projects submitted by audiovisual professionals from the EU and third countries.
The Commission announced at the start of last year that it was planning a new chapter in the MEDIA programme to improve cinematographic and audiovisual cooperation between Europe and third countries. This was in response to the demand from the industry for such cooperation that had been growing over the previous years, boosted by the development of new technologies and the high demand for audiovisual content. “I think MEDIA MUNDUS is the right cultural answer to this global technological challenge. The successes of the current MEDIA programme and MEDIA International have shown the need for a sequel: It's time to go global. I expect EU citizens to see the results of our new efforts very quickly in a cinema nearby!” commented Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. The new programme will boost the exchange of information between European and non-European professionals, particularly through training activities and scholarships that make networking easier. This will improve access to foreign markets and build trust and long-term commercial relationships in the audiovisual industry, the Commission says. This new form of partnership and the increased number of international co-productions which will derive from these exchanges will also improve the competitiveness of audiovisual works. (I.L./transl.rt)