Professional bloc for the revision of the TVSF
Established in 1989 and modified in 1997, the Television With No Borders directive (TVSF) was on the table and under revision at negotiations in Liverpool this week. This directive currently obliges television networks to reserve the majority of their broadcasting hours for European product. They must also dedicate at least 10% of broadcast time or 10% of their budget to the programming of European programmes coming from independent producers. Having participated in the discussions with representatives from the European parliament to allow the creation of a commission to put forward their propositions, 9 European organisations made up of creators and producers of television and cinema published a joint declaration, recalling their commitment to cultural diversity.
According to the professional signatories, " the objective of the promotion of cultural diversity at European level must be included in any future proposition for the revision of the TV Without Borders directive, enlarging it to encompass online services (video on demand or VOD) which will allow European film and audiovisual works a window towards a new public". Also, the professionals underlined the necessity to close loopholes open to abusive delocalisation and demanded that the tone of the new directive should evoke "explicitly ban the by-passing of legislation" referring to the fact that an EU country could "call into question the competence of a broadcaster if it establishes itself in another member country solely to take advantage of its laws".
Signatory Organisations
CEPI (Coordination for independent European producers)
CICCE (Committee for the film industry)
CPE (European Producers Club)
Euro-MEI (European Media and Entertainment Workers)
Eurocinéma (Association of cinema and television producers)
EuroFIA (European Grouping of the international federation of actors)
FERA (European Federation of directors)
FIAD (International Federation of film distributors associations)
FSE (Federation of European screenwriters).
(Translated from French)
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