No longer shall video-streaming services like Netflix or Prime Video be allowed to operate in the European Union countries without offering some locally-produced programming.
As a matter of fact, Roberto Viola, who is the head of the European Commission department that regulates communications networks, content and technology, said that new rules regulating foreign video-streaming services are on track to be approved in December.
“We just need the final vote, but it’s a mere formality,” he told Variety at the Venice Film Festival.
Streamers like Netflix will also need to ensure visibility and prominence for any locally-made television shows and movies that can be streamed within EU countries.
It’s unclear how the Commission intends to incentivize video-streaming giants to spend money on buying existing content from European producers or pour funds into development of local TV programming. EU nations could choose to raise the quota from the 30% minimum to 40%.
From the article:
EU nations can also each choose whether the 30% includes sub-quotas on original productions in their countries and whether they want to follow the German model of adding a small surcharge on streamer subscription fees to support the national production fund.
The 28 member states will have 20 months to apply these new norms.
The Commission also thinks YouTube is keeping too large a piece of ad revenue to itself and is working on legislation that could force streamers and user-generated platforms such as YouTube to pay increased copyright fees to film and TV directors and writers.