Following a decisive vote on December 13th, the European Parliament has taken a firm stance in support of the European audiovisual industry. During the Plenary session, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted on the Report on the implementation of the Geo-Blocking Regulation, and amended the report to reject the proposal to extend the Regulation to audiovisual services. In doing so, MEPs have showed their strong support to the European audiovisual industry and highlighted that extending the scope of the Regulation to audiovisual services would result in a significant loss of revenue, threaten investment in new content, reduce the cultural diversity of content and decrease distribution channels, and ultimately raise prices for consumers.
This is a significant victory for the preservation of European cultural diversity. By preserving the principle of territoriality in the audiovisual sector, the European Parliament has taken a critical step in safeguarding Europe's cultural sovereignty and diversity.
Susana Gato, President of CEPI stated, “We welcome the decision taken by the European Parliament today. Territorial exclusivity is an essential principle for the audiovisual sector and must be preserved. MEPs have send a clear message today that this is something they want to uphold.”