14/10/2005

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has just decided to extend the five year tax exemption in favour of the European Audiovisual industry. But in UNESCO's General Conference, currently taking place in Paris, the USA has come down on the Convention's project regarding "cultural diversity", a very embraced project by the European countries. This draft would allow having permanent national policies to support the audiovisual industry without dealing with the temporary dispensations always imposed by the WTO.

This General Conference is examining the aspects regarding the draft on "cultural diversity", which, if accepted, will immediately have international judicial value. This is essential to sustain a long-term European audiovisual support policy. In order to do this, it must be subject to vote in the upcoming plenary session on October 20th. This is, of course, if all takes place accordingly… nothing is for sure.
The document has already been approved by UNESCO's Executive Council - 53 votes in favour to 1 against it (belonging to the US) and an abstention (by Australia). Anyhow, the US seems determined to be opposed until the end. From the Conference's opening, they have questioned the European Commission's legitimacy on a mandate that represents all 25 member states. They have been the only ones to vote against it. At the moment they are questioning the aspects of internal procedures, of the statutes that only allow those members paying subscription to vote. Here is where the race begins: numerous countries are hurrying to become "subscribers"… If the required two thirds of the members' votes are not obtained, the decision could be disregarded. The USA is threatening to withdraw from the Conference. Other certain countries could follow the USA's footsteps in fear of commercial reprimand. Japan is presently sleeping on this one.
According to Henri BENKOSKI, the Belgian expert who participated in the draft writing, it could all turn into a "Cultural Kyoto". And according to him, what would be the use of having a Convention where significant countries would be absent, or even worse, the importance of a draft could be diminished by unilateral declarations?

Let's remember that the idea of submitting the notion of cultural diversity in a UNESCO Convention comes from the WTO's refusal to make a cultural exception proposed by the European states (because of the audiovisual/film industry's commercial and cultural nature, as well as this sector's vulnerability) in Seattle, in 1999. The WTO's purpose is to create a "freed" global market, where goods and services flow freely without "preferential treatment", i.e., subsidies, tax imposition, all directly linked to local markets… It could be considered as a disloyal act towards other countries. Certain "exemptions" are imposed according to economic circumstances, but they must always be temporary.

(Translated from French)