FNE and UNIC Present EU Cinema Policy News
FNE has teamed up with the Brussels based team of the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC) to bring you regular updates on EU cinema policies that impact all industry professionals across Europe.
Each two weeks the UNIC team of experts will update FNE readers with a selection of information on the most important developments in cinema policy in the areas of the Digital Single Market, copyright, new research on audience development, policy meetings and events and other vital information that the leaders of the European cinema need to keep abreast of to do their jobs.
These are issues that have an impact on all of us and will determine the future direction of our industry and indeed even its survival.
UNIC policy update 02.03.2017
Piracy
Search engines and creative industries sign anti-piracy agreement in Britain – Intellectual Property Office
Representatives from the creative industries, leading UK search engines, and the IPO developed a Voluntary Code of Practice dedicated to the removal of links to infringing content from the first page of search results.
Portability
15/02: EU Ambassadors endorse agreement: Cross Border Portable Digital Services – Maltese Presidency to the EU website
The new rules, which will allow consumers to access online content services, paid for in their home country, whenever they are visiting another country within the European Union, have been endorsed by EU Ambassadors. This is part of the digital single market strategy, whose goal is to create an internal market for digital content and services.
23/02: MEPs welcome new portability rules – Parliament Magazine
New rules allowing EU citizens with subscriptions for online music, games, films and TV shows to access this content while travelling to another EU country have been welcomed by MEPs.
Events
16/03: European Audiovisual Observatory Advisory Committee Meeting, Strasbourg – more information here
The Conference organised by the European Audiovisual Observatory will look at the key trends from the audiovisual market and regulations.
15-16/06: Digital Assembly, Malta – more information here
The 2017 edition of the Digital Assembly will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to debate, take stock and look ahead at how Europe and how its partners around the world are preparing for this digital transformation
UNIC policy update 14.02.2017
UNIC Update Cinema Industry
11/02: European cinema exhibition sees further growth in 2016 – Celluloid Junkie
UNIC released its provisional update on admissions and box office revenues across Europe for 2016, which is the first wide-ranging assessment of the performance of the European cinema sector last year. The figures show a positive year for cinema operators in most European territories.
Digital Single Market
2/02: CJ + UNIC Cinema Innovation – Interview with VP European Commission Andrus Ansip and UKCA/UNIC’s Phil Clapp – Celluloid Junkie
Vice President of the European Commission and the current Commissioner for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip and Phil Clapp, Head of the UK Cinema Association and President of UNIC, share their thoughts on cinema and innovation in Europe.
6/02: “Opportunities as well as challenges” by MEP Therese Comodini Cachia (Malta, EPP) on the EU copyright reform – Parliament Magazine
‘A digital single market that works for the cultural and creative industries requires a copyright framework that ensures digital access to creative content as well as fair remuneration’ states MEP Therese Comodini Cachia.
6/02: "An opportunity for both consumers and creators" by MEP Marc Joulaud (France, EPP) – Parliament Magazine
‘Consumers and rights holders both need each other to thrive and make the best of the tremendous opportunities offered by the digital environment’ writes Marc Joulaud.
Portability
7/02: EU negotiators agree on new rules allowing Europeans to travel and enjoy online content services across borders – European Commission website
The rules will reflect new ways in which Europeans enjoy culture and entertainment services online when they travel around the EU.
Competition
2/02: Antitrust: Commission opens three investigations into suspected anticompetitive practices in e-commerce – European Commission website
The European Commission has launched three separate investigations to assess if certain online sales practices prevent, in breach of EU antitrust rules, consumers from enjoying cross-border choice and being able to buy consumer electronics, video games and hotel accommodation at competitive prices.
Audiovisual Media Services Directive
6/02: "A prudent approach" by co-rapporteur MEP Petra Kammerevert (Germany, S&D) – Parliament Magazine
‘Our aim is to come up with a legal text that preserves media diversity and freedom of expression, protects consumers and guarantees fair competition between media providers in the distribution of audiovisual media content’ writes Petra Kammerevert.
European Parliament
3/02: Priorities for Europe: EU leaders set objectives for 2017 – European Parliament website
In December, former Parliament President Martin Schulz, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Robert Fico, representing the rotating Council presidency, signed the first ever joint declaration setting out the EU’s objectives and top six priorities for 2017, one of which is the Digital Single Market.
Events
02/03: EUIPO Conference on Copyright Enforcement, Malta 16/03: European Audiovisual Observatory Advisory Committee Meeting, Strasbourg 15-16/06: Digital Assembly, Malta – more information here
UNIC policy update 31.01.2017
European Parliament
17/01: Antonio Tajani elected as European Parliament President – European Parliament website and EPP website
Antonio Tajani was elected president of the European Parliament on 17 January, succeeding Martin Schulz. Tajani, an Italian member of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) group and vice-president of the Parliament, received 351 votes in the fourth and final round of voting.
- 19/01: Who's who: overview of the people in charge of Parliament – European Parliament website
The infographic presents who was chosen for Parliament's vice – presidents and quaestors, who together with the President make up the bureau, which takes decisions on matters of internal organisation for the institution. - 23/01: Is Antonio Tajani the leader Europe needs? – The European Parliament magazine
Antonio Tajani has won the hotly -contested race to become Parliament’s new President, though not all were pleased, reports Martin Banks.
European Audiovisual Observatory
- 16/01: Poland Takes Over European Audiovisual Observatory Presidency – FNE
Poland is taking over the European Audiovisual Observatory's presidency from the Czech Republic as the Observatory is launching the celebrations of its 25th anniversary with a new logo. - 27/01: Boosting European films on VoD – what’s EU law got to do with it? – EAO website
The report explores the regulatory context, sets out international and European obligations as well as national frameworks, considers self- and coregulatory tools and case-law, and provides an outline of the main aspects of the current reform of the AVMSD in this field.
Geo-blocking
- 24/01: Geo-blocking: The Culture Committee calls for policy makers to protect Europe’s cultural diversity – CW! website
CW! rejects amendments suggesting the inclusion of non-audiovisual copyright into the material scope of the proposed regulation for Geo-Blocking and the inclusion of audiovisual services into the review clause, so that the Geo-blocking Regulation does not achieve the opposite of its intended goal.
Creative Europe – MEDIA
- 23/01: Open Public Consultation in relation with the evaluation of the Creative Europe-MEDIA programme – EC website
The consultation aims to gather comments and perspectives on the relevance of the Creative Europe programme's objectives, the effectiveness of the measures taken to achieve them and the efficiency of their implementation, and covers three strands of the Creative Europe programme, namely the Culture sub-programme, the MEDIA sub-programme, and the Cross-sectoral strand.
Events
- 02/03: EUIPO Conference on Copyright Enforcement, Malta 16/03: European Audiovisual Observatory Advisory Committee Meeting, Strasbourg 15-16/06: Digital Assembly, Malta - more inf
UNIC policy update 16.01.2017
Digital Single Market
11/01: Copyright rules fit for a Digital Single Market – EPP website
On January 11, MEPs discussed the modernisation of the EU copyright with stakeholders at a hearing organized by the EPP group.
International Union of Cinemas - UNIC
16/01 UNIC released its Cinema Innovation Report exploring innovation and change in the European cinema. The report – Innovation and the Big Screen – can be found here
15/01: UNIC Cinema Innovation – Interview with Maddy Probst, Watershed / Europa Cinemas – Celluloid Junkie
Celluloid Junkie has partnered UNIC to highlight innovation in the European cinema sector through a series of interviews, excerpts and examples.In the first interview, CJ spoke to Maddy Probst, the Cinema Programme Producer for the Watershed, in Bristol, UK, as well as VP of Europa Cinemas, to find out some context on innovation around the European cinema scene.
European Parliament
13/01: European Parliament elections on 17 January: All you need to know – EP website
MEPs elect on Tuesday 17 January Parliament's new president to replace Martin Schulz who is stepping down after five years.
16/01: Election of members to standing committees and sub-committees – EP website
At the start of the second half of its 8th legislative term – January 18 and 19, the European Parliament will decide on the composition of its standing committees and subcommittees during its constituent plenary session in Strasbourg.
Presidency of the EU
9/01: Malta presidency in full swing – Presidency website
The priorities of the Maltese Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers are being outlined to parliamentary committees by Maltese ministers at a series of meetings taking place in January.
Events
13/02: European Film Forum, Berlinale
02/03: EUIPO Conference on Copyright Enforcement, Malta
15-16/06: Digital Assembly, Malta - more information here
