Review of the Audiovisual Media Directive presentation and debate in Barcelona
On 21 April, a day of was held, inviting the Association of Consumers of Audiovisual Media of Catalonia as rapporteur. This entity has been the only one that has represented European users in the process of renewing the Directive; It has done so through the presidency of EURALVA (The European Alliance of Listeners and Viewers’ Associations) that has been running for seven years.
The International Relations Coordinator of the Association, Carla Sciamma, highlighted the progress of the concept of Audiovisual Media Services. So far, the regulation on television, on Demand Videos (VOD) and on Video-Sharing Platforms has been different for each case, but now the market is unique: the digital one. That is why it is very positive that the directive begins to look at all these realities together.
At the same time, the Association also welcomed articles that focus on protecting children from harmful programs. The Directive talks about systems that prevent children from seeing or hearing them. On the other hand, Carla Sciamma said that consumers find two major weaknesses in this bill: the need for users to be represented on an equal footing with large companies in the sector and maintain control in (country) origin, but also In destination of the contents.
The intervention of Sciamma was key to putting the interests of children in front of the legislators and producers assistants.
Euralva 