EU adopts quota for video platforms

In future, at least 30% of the available content of video-on-demand services (e.g. Netflix) must consist of European works. The cep firmly rejects such a quota.

For cep expert Eckhardt, minimum quotas for the provision of European works represent massive encroachments on the preferential sovereignty of citizens. Apart from this, the quota is ineffective if it falls below the actual demand of the users. The quota is patronising if it exceeds actual demand. Providers are then forced to spend money on services that their customers do not want to consume.

Many video-on-demand services are popular because, unlike TV stations, they offer non-European works. Instead of seeing this as evidence of the inadequacy of quotas, the Commission is now imposing it on video-on-demand providers.

The negotiators have also agreed that TV channels may use 20% of the broadcasting time for advertising between 6am and 6pm. So far, a strict 12 minutes per hour rule has been applied.

Another new feature is that in future a further 20% of the airtime can be used for advertising between 6pm and midnight.

However, these changes do not go far enough. Since advertising revenues are a central source of income for many private television stations, cep is against a complete abolition of the legal advertising restrictions that limit these income possibilities.

The European Parliament plans to take a final vote on the Directive in September.