Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-10-24-Speech-1-117"
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"en.20051024.17.1-117"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, MEDIA 2007 represents the third generation of the MEDIA programme of support for the European film industry, which has a great and twofold objective, in that we want to help promote European culture across all borders, while at the same time promoting the creation of jobs with a significant future in the audiovisual sector. MEDIA 2007 is a joint effort, and so I very warmly thank the Commission – and you, Commissioner Reding, in particular – for the excellent cooperation, and your staff as well. I also wish to thank the Luxembourg and British Presidencies for their good cooperation and particularly, of course, the members of the Committee on Culture and Education and all the committees that advised us.
The first thing to be said about MEDIA 2007 is that the programme is as urgently needed as ever it was, for European films are still outnumbered in Europe, with an average of 70% of the films shown in our cinemas still being of American origin. There are three essential reasons why this is so; the first is that cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe, while being our great asset, also makes for highly fragmented audiovisual markets, which – and this is the second reason – are largely characterised by small and medium-sized enterprises, which – thirdly – suffer from chronic under-capitalisation. All these considerations means that the MEDIA programme will be urgently needed over the next seven years.
At the same time, it is evident that MEDIA is a highly successful programme, in that nine out of ten films shown outside their country of origin were supported by it. What now remains to be done is to increase European cinema’s overall market share, and that is why this third programme is to have the same priorities as before: training, development, distribution and promotion. Production itself remains a matter for the Member States.
What changes does the programme propose to make? One is a substantial increase in funding. Let me say that I am particularly grateful to the Commissioner for having, from the very outset, been firm in demanding an increase to EUR 1.055 billion. You can be sure – as can the Council – that this House as a whole will not be prepared to go below that amount, which represents the minimum that is needed for the audiovisual sector over the next seven years.
Apart from that, what else has changed? In every area, digitalisation is a priority; it is the technology of the future, which must, over the coming years, be made use of and developed. Secondly, there is a need for more cooperation at every level. Among other things, the European Union’s participation in the European Audiovisual Observatory will be of value, as will closer cooperation with Eurimages, but there is also a need for the networks to be strengthened.
Let me close by saying something about the amendments that remain to be considered, particularly the amendments on the protection of juveniles tabled by the Union for a Europe of the Nations Group. Protection of the young is something of which we are all in favour, but it is not something that the film programme primarily exists to do; there are other programmes to do that, and so, on this point, we cannot agree to what you ask.
My warmest thanks, though, to the House as a whole; we have shared in putting this programme together, and that is the best foundation for its future success."@en1
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