22/10/2012 - Heated debate in Dijon, as cultural industry professionals feel that the European Commission is shooting itself in the foot

There seems to be a total lack of understanding between film professionals and the European Commission, according to the debates recently held in Dijon as part of the 22nd Film Meetings organised by the Civil Society of Writers-Directors-Producers (ARP). Led by Oscar-winning director Michel Hazanavicius, French filmmakers repeated that Europe’s cultural industries are among the world’s best in their sector, not only in artistic terms, but also in terms of economic growth and employment, unlike the digital and telecoms world which is dominated by American operators.

Defending the basis of a French model according to which the broadcasters of audiovisual works have to contribute to their funding, ARP filmmakers notably demanded that the French tax on television service providers, recently the subject of tough negotiations between France and the European Commission (read more), be validated as soon as possible.

The call was heard by French minister of culture Aurélie Filipetti who announced that a new notification would be given in Brussels, and that it was essential to highlight the economic power of cultural exception mechanisms when confronted with the advocates of a "certain orthodoxy for competition and markets".

For his part, Eric Garandeau, president of the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC), announced that 20 European national film agencies had declared their support for the French position.

"We are told that we should sacrifice everything to the telecoms because they are the future, whereas even big groups are now saying that wealth is not in the cable, but in the content,” he said, also pointing out that, if one link in the funding chain doesn’t have to contribute, then all others could also claim exemption.

His analysis was favourably echoed by Henrik Bo Nielsen (CEO of the Danish Film Institute), who believes that the will for a unique centralised digital market for European films risks being damaging, and that one should respect that over 90% of funding for audiovisual works comes from different nations.

This strange feeling that the European Commission is shooting itself in the foot when it comes to the cultural industries sector was prevalent in all topics discussed during the debates at these 2012 Meetings.

Speaking about developing VoD platforms, Rodolphe Belmer (managing director for cinema at Canal +) thus declared: "We will neither be able to develop nor to resist, if the state doesn’t establish rules for everybody. Otherwise, we won’t be able to compete with players like Apple, Google, or Netflix who have no funding obligations and enjoy advantageous taxation.”

His warning rang out as a call for clear political will not only in France, but also on the European level.

(Translated from French)