The European Commission is in the process of putting forward new  rules to deepen the Internal Market for Digital Services. A public consultation has been carried out on a Digital Services Act (DSA). Here you can read the SAA's response. 

Ahead of the European Council meeting on 17 and 18 July, 45 leading European authors and artists are calling the heads of State and government to agree on appropriate funding for the recovery and thriving of the cultural sector. The SAA stands behind this call.

Ahead of the European Council meeting on 19 June, Culture Action Europe has launched a call on Member States to place culture in the EU long-term recovery budget (presented by the European Commission on 27 May). The SAA stands behind the call.

Alongside tackling the COVID-19 crisis, the European Commission and the European Parliament have continued working on establishing a European approach for the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The SAA had a look at the topic to try to understand how AI is used in the audiovisual sector and what its impact on authors is.

The film and audiovisual sector in Europe calls for urgent action by EU and Member State decision-makers to safeguard the future of the sector in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, following in the footsteps of initial emergency measures announced at national level, including by film funds and other bodies.

The SAA signed an open letter to the EU and Member States demanding support for the cultural and creative sectors during the COVID-19 crisis, initiated by Niklas Nienaß and Salima Yenbou, Members of the European Parliament. 

Brussels European quarters are back to business: traffic jams, overpopulated coffee places and queues to pass security into the institutions. Inside the European Parliament, the last carpets are being laid and furniture assembled in the 751 offices.

At the Cannes Film Festival more than 500 filmmakers came together, urging EU citizens to vote in the European elections. Many EU citizens did vote, in fact the turnout was 51%, the highest in 20 years.

Distinguished trilogue negotiators,

“We need to talk, not only about our films, but about how we are remunerated for what we create”

On 23 October, Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, received a delegation handing over a petition signed by more than 21,000 supporters of Europe’s screenwriters and directors and their right to fair and proportionate remuneration.

At this week’s Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, Commissioner Gabriel will present the prototype of the Directory of European Films developed by the European Audiovisual Observatory to increase the visibility of European films on the video-on-demand (VOD) market.