Audiovisual industry: development, distribution and promotion of works, MEDIA-Plus 2001-2005

PURPOSE : to establish a programme to encourage the development, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works (MEDIA Plus · Development, Distribution and Promotion 2000-2005). CONTENT : The European programme industry must be able to seize the opportunities opened up by the development of digital technologies and take account of the international dimension to the market. There is a serious risk that the domination of the European market by imported programmes, particularly American ones, will extend and increase with the new dissemination methods. The Programme is intended to address the lack of investment in development, the obstacles to the transnational distribution of works, and lack of aid for promotion and market access. 1) Development - there is a need to stimulate greater investment by the industry in the development phase of audiovisual works, with the emphasis on projects which are targeted at the European and international markets and offer the best prospects for commercial success. Two types of operation are planned: - co-financing of the development of individual projects (script-writing, search for financial and artistic partners, assessment and marketing studies) put forward by European producers; - Co-financing of the medium-term strategies pursued by high-performance companies for the development of project packages (slate funding). 2) Distribution sector · the Programme aims to encourage investment in distribution of various types of media, from cinema screening to on-line distribution. It offers selective support in the form of conditionally repayable loans for film distributors who distribute European cinema works outside their country of production. It also offers automatic support for some aspects of distribution as well as supporting film music, sales agents and cinemas, television broadcasting etc. 3) Promotion and market access sector · priority actions will focus on: - improving the conditions for access by professionals to European and international markets by means of specific technical and financialassistance measures; - promoting the use of databases nd any other tools for exchanging information and experience relating to the exploitation of catalogues of European programmes - supporting audivisual festivals that feature a significant proportion of European works. Community funding will not exceed 50% of the cost of operations. This may extend to 60% in cases specifically provided for in the annex to the Decision. The financial reference amount for the five-year duration of the Programme is EUR 350 million. The Programme will run from 2 January 2001 to 31 December 2005.�