SAA - Society of Audiovisual Authors

The EU Parliament backs authors on AI

This month, I had the chance to be in Strasbourg for the vote on the Parliament's important resolution on 'Copyright and Generative AI', prepared by MEP Axel Voss for the Legal Affairs Committee. With a strong majority, the Parliament set out clear guidance for the EU Commission to assess the European copyright framework in relation to AI without delay, and to address the structural imbalance between generative AI companies and rightsholders, including audiovisual authors. Together with the Federation of European Screen Directors and the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe, we welcomed the report - read our press release.

The Culture Committee has also initiated its own report on 'Cultural and Creative Sectors in the Age of AI'. To kick-start his work, rapporteur MEP Zoltán Tarr invited stakeholders to a dialogue and listened attentively to each one presenting their key priorities and expectations. I took the occasion to point out that AI does not enter a level playing field; it enters a market already deeply skewed against the very people whose work it depends on. What we are calling for is authorisation, remuneration and transparency.

On the subject of transparency, we sent our comments to the second draft of the Code of Practice on marking and labelling of AI-generated content. This code of practice is important to implement the obligations of Art 50 of the AI Act that require providers of AI systems to ensure that synthetic output is marked and detectable and require deployers to disclose deepfakes.

Court backs streamer contributions to Belgian audiovisual production

On 26 March, the Belgian Constitutional Court delivered its judgment in a decisive case brought by Netflix in French-speaking Belgium, a case we have been closely involved in alongside Belgian professional organisations. The Court rejected most of Netflix's criticisms of the system of mandatory contributions to audiovisual production, with only a few questions referred to the Court of Justice of the EU. Read our joint press release.

From 1989 Television Without Frontiers to 2026 AVMS Directive

The Netflix ruling is a fitting moment to point you to my colleague Annica's blog post on the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, currently under review. An analysis of the responses to the Commission's call for evidence reveals a striking convergence: stakeholders on all sides recommend not reopening the directive, yet for very different reasons. Platforms fear new obligations; authors fear losing the ground they have already gained. The consultation process on the assessment of the impact of the directive continues with an online questionnaire to fill by 1^st May.

Screenings and politics

In anticipation of the LUX Audience Award Ceremony on 14 April, I saw the final two of the five nominated films. 'Sorda' by Eva Libertad and 'Love Me Tender' by Anna Cazenave Cambet, were both impressive works with powerful stories that leave a mark. 'It Was Just an Accident' by Jafar Panahi was the most political of all, and the one that made the biggest impression on me. I highly recommend all five films which touch on very different topics.

On the occasion of the European Film Agencies’ (EFAD) screening of the warm and joyful 'DJ Ahmet' by Georgi Unkovski in Brussels, we had the opportunity to meet with the Minister of Culture and Tourism, the State Secretary, and the Director of the national Film Agency of North Macedonia. We discussed the situation of North Macedonian screenwriters and directors, who currently receive no remuneration for the exploitation of their works across different media. AZAS, the relevant collective management organisation, has held a licence since 2018, yet remains non-operational because the government has not approved its tariffs. While the Minister acknowledged this is primarily a political issue, I know how powerful economic forces in the media sector can be when they don't want to pay.

Welcomed VAPIK in Kosovo, new SAA member 

March is our General Assembly meeting season. This year, in addition to reporting on our 2025 activities, adopting accounts, discussing policy issues and our 2026 strategy, we updated the SAA statutes and welcomed a new member VAPIK - the CMO for Audiovisual authors, producers and performers of Kosovo. We now count 34 members across 26 countries.

Thanks to a fortunate double booking, we ended up co-hosting a cocktail reception with our colleagues at European Visual Artists (EVA), who were holding their General Assembly meeting at the same time. Our teams entertained guests with a get-to-know-each-other quiz, and even I struggled with one question: EVA and SAA are sister organisations, one is Gen Z, one is Gen Alpha. Who is who? (*Answer at the end.)

At Series Mania in Lille

On 25 March, I travelled to Lille for the International TV Series Festival 'Series Mania' to accompany our board member Jana Vozarova, who was invited to speak on a panel about generative AI and creation. Her answer to the question of how we can innovate without dispossessing authors? A few words we never tire of repeating: authorisation, remuneration, transparency, and collective management.

Finally, I'm happy to welcome Maxence to the SAA team. He is a Master's student in EU Studies, joining us as an intern for the semester.

Warm regards,

Cécile

*EVA is Gen Z (founded in 1997), SAA is Gen Alpha (founded in 2010)