Update On The Audiovisual Media Services Directive

In April 2017 the European Parliament's Committee on Culture and Education voted to amend the proposal for an updated EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). In May 2017, the Council reached a General Approach on the revised version of the AVMSD. However, whilst a General Approach was reached, a number of countries have raised a variety of concerns. Two examples are: (a) whether the AVMSD in its current form provides regulation for the proposed widened scope that can be applied in practice; and (b) the broadening of the services caught by the requirement to financially support European Works.

1. The scope of the AVMSD is to be amended so that certain provisions also apply to video sharing platforms. The aim is to harmonise the regulation of broadcast services and video sharing platforms in certain areas however there are differences in the way that the two types of services are operated and managed in practice. There is consensus that users should be