The European Commission adopted its much disputed new-look Cinema Communication in November 2013. This re-vamped legal instrument lays down the rules by which the EU judges whether or not European film funds comply with EU state aid rules. It finally saw the light of day following an uphill consultation process with the industry and decision-makers. Many stakeholders feared that new rules on territorial spending and the so-called subsidy race would scupper public film funding schemes. In its brand new IRIS plus report, the European Audiovisual Observatory looks at the contents of this new 2013 Cinema Communication while re-treading the road which led to its latest re-write. The Related Reporting section offers short articles on recent developments in European cinema legislation. The final Zoom section provides the Observatory's latest facts and figures on the cinema industry in Europe, including digital roll-out data.
Free download of PDF version on Observatory’s website
LEAD ARTICLE
The New Cinema Communication: All's Well that Ends Well?
The lead article of this new report offers a valuable flashback to 2001 and the principles behind the first Cinema Communication. Its authors then re-trace the consultation and re-writing processes which, over a 12 year period, led to the current 2013 Communication adopted at the end of last year. The article analyses the main concerns of the European film professionals which were integrated into this final text and reports on the reaction it received from the film sector.
Lead article chapter headings:
Prologue
I. Culture and the European Union
1. EU competence in cultural matters
2. EU state aid rules
II. The 2001 Cinema Communication
1. Assessment criteria under Article 107.3(d) TFEU
III. Towards a new Cinema Communication
1. The 2011 Issues Paper and the first public consultation
2. The 2012 Draft Communication
2.1. Scope of activities
2.2. Territorialisation
2.3. The subsidy race
2.4. Circulation of films and audience choice
3. Selected responses to the 2012 Draft Communication
3.1. Scope of activities
3.2. The territorial spending obligations
3.3. The so-called subsidy race
3.4. The circulation of films and audience choices
4. The revised 2012 Draft Communication
IV. The 2013 Communication
1. The new rules
1.1. Scope
1.2. Cultural criterion
1.3. Territorial spending obligations
1.4. The "subsidy race"
1.5. Film heritage
1.6. The next steps
2. Reactions to the adoption of the 2013 Communication
V. After the curtain falls
RELATED REPORTING
Recent Developments on Film Policy
The Related Reporting section of this new report provides the Observatory's latest articles on recent developments on film policy in Europe, focusing on topics such as Germanys' recently amended film act or the increased VAT in Spain on cinemas, concerts and theatres.
ZOOM
A New Cinema Communication – Background Data
The final Zoom section provides a digest of the latest facts and figures on the European cinema industry drawn from recent Observatory publications. This includes statistics on European theatrical markets, the relative success of European and US films in the European Union, the total number of theatrical feature films produced in Europe, and the roll-out of digital projection in Europe's cinemas and assistance for cinemas in difficulty.
Zoom article chapter headings :
Development of European theatrical markets in 2013
National & US market shares
Gross box office
The European film industry in context – background data
The European Commission adopted its much disputed new-look Cinema Communication in November 2013. This re-vamped legal instrument lays down the rules by which the EU judges whether or not European film funds comply with EU state aid rules. It finally saw the light of day following an uphill consultation process with the industry and decision-makers. Many stakeholders feared that new rules on territorial spending and the so-called subsidy race would scupper public film funding schemes. In its brand new IRIS plus report, the European Audiovisual Observatory looks at the contents of this new 2013 Cinema Communication while re-treading the road which led to its latest re-write. The Related Reporting section offers short articles on recent developments in European cinema legislation. The final Zoom section provides the Observatory's latest facts and figures on the cinema industry in Europe, including digital roll-out data.
Free download of PDF version on Observatory’s website
