European professional organisations of the audiovisual and cultural sectors welcome the clarifications brought by the European Parliament on Article 20 of the European Media Freedom Act, voted in plenary on 3 October, that will prevent the provision of this article being used to challenge or weaken ambitious cultural policies set out by Member States to promote European audiovisual creation.

As the EU Council, Parliament and Commission third trilogue negotiations’ meeting will take place next week, the SAA strongly calls on the negotiators to build on the EU Parliament’s proposals to impose transparency obligations on the providers of foundation models and to establish clear rules that protect and promote the continued development of human creativity and original works.

FERA, FSE and the SAA congratulate Lukas Dhont, director and writer, and co-writer Angelo Tijssens of CLOSE, winner of the LUX Audience Award 2023, as announced during a festive ceremony yesterday evening in the European Parliament in Brussels.

On 9 May, the European Parliament adopted its report on the implementation of the Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive. We, organisations representing European audiovisual screenwriters, directors, composers, producers, distributors and sales agents, take this opportunity to insist on the importance of the AVMS Directive as the cornerstone of cultural regulations fostering European audiovisual creation, production and distribution.

On 1 March creators from Europe and Latin America came together with three international bodies representing authors’ rights to call for an unwaivable remuneration right and fairer payment for screenwriters and directors.

On 12 December 2022, Eleonora Rosati, Professor of IP law and Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property and Market Law, Stockholm University, moderated an informative seminar with experts from the Nordic countries and the European Commission about the use of Extended Collective Licensing mechanisms to license audiovisual works and deliver remuneration to their authors.

The Slovenian implementation of the EU Copyright Directives* places the country among the most modern legislation ensuring film directors and screenwriters are remunerated for the use of their works on the most important modes of exploitation, such as broadcasting, retransmission, public performance, online uses and video-on-demand.

Today is 1-year since the deadline passed for EU countries to implement the Directives on Copyright in the Digital Single Market and on Online Transmissions and Retransmissions. On 19 May 2022, the European Commission sent reasoned opinions to 13 Member States who have not notified their transposition measures of the first directive yet and to 10 Member States for the second directive. Some have delivered but many still lag behind.

“Fight for your rights, and your crazy ideas” were the words of young creators at an online event on 27 April 2022 organised by the Society of Audiovisual Authors in partnership with the European Parliament’s Cultural Creators Friendship Group, celebrating the European Year of Youth and World IP Day. Young European filmmakers and Youtubers shared their experiences of how to make a living on online media and streaming platforms, in conversation with members of the European Parliament.

The Society of Audiovisual Authors and its collective management organisation members stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and their creative community following the invasion of the country, and with all forms of opposition to the war. 

Film/AV sector regrets that the European Parliament missed the opportunity to make the Internet a safer space for everyone.

With the upcoming plenary vote, the European Parliament can still turn the Digital Service Act into an opportunity for the EU to play a global role in making the internet a safer space for everyone.