On 13 May, EU Culture Ministers have agreed their position on the forthcoming evaluation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). The AVMSD is the EU’s legal framework for audiovisual media and video-sharing platforms. The EBU welcomes the Council conclusions, expected to steer the assessment of the AVMSD by the European Commission.

“With the European Commission set to evaluate the AVMSD, Member States have shown strong support for the Directive as a vital sector-specific framework,” commented Wouter Gekiere, Head of the EBU’s Brussels office.

“We support the Council’s conclusions: a thorough assessment of the AVMSD is needed. The Council rightly notes that the prominence of general interest media services needs careful consideration during this process. As recognized by the Council Conclusions, prominence measures are useful in tackling disinformation, reinforcing access to pluralistic media, and promoting a level playing field. Member States must be able to effectively promote the visibility of general interest media services on connected devices and user interfaces, including when it concerns providers based outside of their territories.”

Other key issues for public service media highlighted in the Council Conclusions include:

• Importance of the Directive: The AVMSD is the central piece of EU legislation for the audiovisual sector. It strikes a delicate balance between the competence of Member States to develop cultural policies according to their specific contexts with the fulfilment of other EU objectives, including the proper functioning of the single market.
• Interplay between the AVMSD and horizontal legislation: The AVMSD provides rules for the content of audiovisual media services and therefore brings added value to the more general rules contained, for example, in the Digital Services Act (DSA) or the E-commerce Directive, which concern the functioning and design of digital services.
• Prominence of general interest media services: Recognized as crucial for tackling disinformation, reinforcing access to pluralistic media, and promoting a more level playing field, Member States must remain able to effectively promote the visibility of general interest media services on connected devices and user interfaces.
• Access to major events for everyone: Although the audiovisual media sector and consumption habits are constantly evolving, it is essential that events of major importance remain accessible to all citizens, thus strengthening a sense of community and shared cultural identity.

The EBU looks forward to working with the EU Commission and co-legislators on a comprehensive assessment of the AVMSD. We will continue to advocate for a legal framework that ensures that Europe's rich audiovisual media landscape remains sustainable, diverse, accessible, and effectively serves the public interest.