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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2025/2776(RSP))

On Audiovisual Media Services Directive obligations in the transatlantic dialogue

B-10-2025-0446

on behalf of the Committee on Culture and Education · Rapporteur: Nela Riehl

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament calls on the Council and member states to support the Commission in defending the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the EU's cultural exception in trade negotiations, keeping audiovisual services out of trade commitments. It urges the Commission to reject any view of the directive as a trade distortion and to defend it as legitimate regulation protecting cultural diversity, sovereignty and soft power.

Key points

  1. Calls on the Council and member states to support the Commission in defending the AVMSD and the cultural exception, ensuring audiovisual services remain excluded from trade agreement commitments.
  2. Stresses that AVMSD measures are legitimate public-interest regulation safeguarding cultural diversity, freedom of expression, media pluralism and democratic values; backtracking would undermine the European cultural model.
  3. Recalls that cultural policy is primarily a member state competence under Article 167 TFEU and that subsidiarity protects cultural diversity and counters concentration of power by external actors, especially American companies.
  4. Welcomes Council conclusions of 2 May 2025 underscoring the AVMSD's crucial role in safeguarding a diverse, fair, safe and competitive audiovisual market and ensuring independent, reliable and culturally diverse European content.
  5. Urges the Commission to firmly reject any attempt to consider the AVMSD a trade distortion and to defend it as essential for protecting cultural diversity, sovereignty and soft power in trade negotiations and in the 2026 evaluation or revision.

Who is affected

  • The Commission, Council and member states are called on to defend the AVMSD in trade talks with the United States.
  • US companies and streaming services are affected as the AVMSD's obligations remain in place, despite US criticism.

Figures and deadlines

  • 30 % share of European works required from on-demand providers under the AVMSD.
  • 100 % tax on films made outside the United States, stated intention by President Trump.
  • 69 % of cinema admissions in Europe in 2023 were US films.
  • 9 of the 10 leading television and video on-demand groups in Europe are US-owned.
  • 85 % of time on subscription video on-demand platforms is spent on three US streaming services.

Legal basis: Article 3 TEU and Articles 6 and 167 TFEU