Netflix, Amazon face quotas for European movies

AFP, BRUSSELS: US firms Netflix and Amazon face quotas for European movies and television shows under new EU proposals unveiled yesterday that also aim to lift cross-border barriers for Internet shoppers.
The plan is the latest step towards what Brussels calls a digital single market, in which the European Union’s 500 million people will no longer be blocked from buying goods and services more cheaply abroad online.
“We have a European film culture and we think European content should be in those programmes,” Guenther Oettinger, the German EU commissioner for digital economy, told a press conference in Brussels.
The European Commission, the executive of the 28-nation European Union, called for US web streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon to devote 20 per cent of their content in Europe to European movies and television shows.
Oettinger said the Commission believes that “there should be a guaranteed share of those programmes,” and that “20 per cent is a reasonable figure”, noting Netflix already devotes 21 per cent of its catalogue to European content.
“We are giving businesses some room for manoeuvre to show non-European products,” added Oettinger, speaking in German through a translator.
Quotas already set by some member states vary between 10 per cent and 60 per cent.
Fighting the dominance of Hollywood is a major priority for EU heavyweight France in particular, which has for years subsidised its own national film industry through a special tax on privately-owned broadcasters that rely heavily on US-made content.
Netflix has said it is against quotas or making contributions to film subsidies, instead putting a priority on developing its own content, including in Europe.
Earlier this month, Netflix released its first major French-language series “Marseille”, starring Gerard Depardieu, largely seen as a sign of its commitment to bring ambitious, non English-language productions to Europe.
In addition, the Commission proposed that member states should be able to ask on-demand services available in their country to “contribute financially to European works,” stopping short of calling for a tax.
The proposals also call for member states to allow for independent regulators, who will ensure that video-sharing platforms, such as YouTube, protect young people from harmful content, like violence and pornography.
They also call for protecting all citizens from incitement to hatred.

Netflix, Amazon face quotas for European movies

AFP, BRUSSELS: US firms Netflix and Amazon face quotas for European movies and television shows under new EU proposals unveiled yesterday that also aim to lift cross-border barriers for Internet shoppers. The plan is the latest step towards what Brussels calls a digital single market, in which the European Unions 500 million people will no longer be blocked from buying goods and services more cheaply abroad online. We have a European film culture and we think European content should be in those programmes, Guenther Oettinger, the German EU commissioner for digital economy, told a press conference in Brussels. The European Commission, the executive of the 28-nation European Union, called for US web streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon to devote 20 per cent of their content in Europe to European movies and television shows. Oettinger said the Commission believes that there should be a guaranteed share of those programmes, and that 20 per cent is a reasonable figure, noting Netflix already devotes 21 per cent of its catalogue to European content. We are giving businesses some room for manoeuvre to show non-European products, added Oettinger, speaking in German through a translator. Quotas already set by some member states vary between 10 per cent and 60 per cent. Fighting the dominance of Hollywood is a major priority for EU heavyweight France in particular, which has for years subsidised its own national film industry through a special tax on privately-owned broadcasters that rely heavily on US-made content. Netflix has said it is against quotas or making contributions to film subsidies, instead putting a priority on developing its own content, including in Europe. Earlier this month, Netflix released its first major French-language series Marseille, starring Gerard Depardieu, largely seen as a sign of its commitment to bring ambitious, non English-language productions to Europe. In addition, the Commission proposed that member states should be able to ask on-demand services available in their country to contribute financially to European works, stopping short of calling for a tax. The proposals also call for member states to allow for independent regulators, who will ensure that video-sharing platforms, such as YouTube, protect young people from harmful content, like violence and pornography. They also call for protecting all citizens from incitement to hatred.