Brussels, 08/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - Under the co-decision procedure, MEPs approved a €15 million funding package to boost worldwide competitiveness of the European audiovisual industry and foster cooperative work with third countries. In plenary session on Thursday 7 May, MEPs adopted (by the wide majority of 484 votes to 16, with 25 abstentions) the report by Ruth Hieronymi (EPP-ED, Germany). “Cultural works should not just be treated as commercial goods; they are a vector of a common European identity,” she said before the vote. The objectives of the MEDIA MUNDUS programme for 2011-2013 are: to develop the exchange of information and, including through training and grants, promote international professional collaboration in order to facilitate access to third country markets and form long-term trade relations; to improve the competitiveness and transnational distribution of audiovisual works throughout the world; to increase distribution and visibility of these works worldwide and increase public demand for culturally diversified audiovisual content.
The demand for new audiovisual content on international markets has been increasing regularly for a number of years. However, the structural weaknesses that are slowing the distribution of European audiovisual works on third country markets are preventing the European audiovisual industry from making the most of the new opening of international outlets and are threatening its competitiveness, the report says. In response to these challenges, the European Parliament adopted a preparatory action, MEDIA International, that focused on the development of relations between the EU and third country audiovisual markets. The call for proposals which followed met with great success and raised a great deal of interest in the audiovisual sector. The Council of Ministers, therefore, adopted a declaration in May 2008 in which it encouraged the Commission to continue the development of the initiative, thus leading to the MEDIA MUNDUS programme, which takes its inspiration from the current MEDIA programme. (I.L./transl.rt)