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European Audiovisual Observatory announces online conference 15 October 2020, 10.00-12.00

Free registration here

How do we determine the nationality of a film or TV programme? The nationality of an audiovisual work can unlock funding. It can also open doors to the inclusion of film or TV content in broadcast or VOD quotas within Europe. With the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and deadline for its implementation which just passed, the share obligations for European works on on-demand services have been reinforced. So defining nationality can be a key to success! How do we do this in Europe? And what are the different approaches adopted by the various member countries of the EU?

The European Audiovisual Observatory, part of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, is organizing this free access online conference to present and discuss the findings of a Mapping research report co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. Clearly the assessment of the nationality of audiovisual works is becoming even more crucial. The goal of this event is to better understand the legal framework and current practices for the definition of the nationality of AV works, gather the needs of the different stakeholders, and assess whether a tool providing information of the nationality of AV works would be feasible.

The Mapping report which constitutes the background to this conference explores the definition of the nationality of AV works and delves into current practices and resources relating to the national definitions of the nationality of AV works, including common or separate approaches to the assessment of the nationality of AV works by public film/audiovisual funds and regulators. The report can be downloaded here.

This conference will bring together relevant stakeholders and will be moderated by Maja Cappello, Head of the Observatory’s Department for Legal Information with the contribution of Gilles Fontaine, Head of the Observatory’s Department for Market Information. The Observatory’s Analysts Francisco Javier Cabrera Blázquez and Julio Talavera Milla will set the scene and provide a round-up of industry stakeholders’ approaches taken from the Observatory’s Mapping report. The European Commission will also be represented. Stakeholders from sectors such as: audiovisual media services, cable distributors, regulators and industry interest groups and standardizing organizations will take part in our panel discussion.

Observatory Executive Director, Susanne Nikoltchev, said she was looking forward to an “extremely useful and timely exploration of the definition of nationality within the European audiovisual sector”.