Protecting Europe’s cultural diversity and sovereignty by promoting access to European cinematographic and audiovisual works

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 16466 | 01 September 2026

Signatories:

Ms Marietta KARAMANLI, France, SOC ; Ms Dora BAKOYANNIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Bertrand BOUYX, France, ALDE ; Mr Theo BOVENS, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Christophe CHAILLOU, France, SOC ; Ms Maria-Nefeli CHATZIIOANNIDOU, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Christiana EROTOKRITOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Piero FASSINO, Italy, SOC ; Mr Emmanuel FERNANDES, France, UEL ; Mr Martynas GEDVILAS, Lithuania, SOC ; Ms Kristina IKIĆ BANIČEK, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Nadejda IORDANOVA, Bulgaria, NR ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Anne LAMBELIN, Belgium, SOC ; Mr George LOUCAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Ms Luz MARTINEZ SEIJO, Spain, SOC ; Ms Octavie MODERT, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Mr Fabian MOLINA, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Vesela MOMCHEVA-TOWNE, Bulgaria, NR ; Ms Louise MOREL, France, ALDE ; Mr Sigurður Helgi PÁLMASON, Iceland, SOC ; Mr George PAPANDREOU, Greece, SOC ; Ms Agnes Sirkka PRAMMER, Austria, SOC ; Ms Sandra REGOL, France, SOC ; Mr Georgios STAMATIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Nicos TORNARITIS, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Tamara VONTA, Slovenia, ALDE ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The cinema and audiovisual sectors in Europe remain key instruments of cultural pluralism, exchange of visions and democratic cohesion. They serve as a vehicle for languages, memories, minority narratives and social representations.

Europe and European countries have long been committed to promoting the production and distribution of films and other audiovisual works through public support measures, programming quotas and investment obligations for television and video-on-demand services. This diversity of measures reflects the need to support not only the production of European works, but also their availability across all screens.

This is no longer enough. The digital landscape has changed, with new technologies giving enormous power to streaming platforms – particularly American ones – that can determine which content is visible to which audience through algorithmic recommendations and curation strategies (by recommending content to a specific audience). This is why it is essential that European works are also prominently featured on these platforms.

Bearing this in mind, the Parliamentary Assembly should recommend that member States examine ways in which Europe could better co-ordinate its support for European cinematographic and audiovisual works and put forward targeted proposals where necessary. Moreover, an exhaustive inquiry into media literacy, accessibility for persons with disabilities, gender equality within the film and audiovisual industries, the involvement of young audiences, and the availability of cinema screenings across all regions would enable the Assembly to establish a nexus between cultural policy, social cohesion and equal access to cultural rights.