Europa Distribution aisbl
Europa Distribution is the international association of independent film publishers and distributors, created in 2006.
ID: 621547293342-31
Lobbying Activity
Response to Evaluation of the Geo-blocking Regulation
11 Mar 2025
Europa Distribution is the international association of independent film publishers and distributors, operating in Europe and beyond. All of the independent distributors we represent are micro or small enterprises (not large corporations as assumed by some) that create demand and engage audiences for independent films and hence are key players in their circulation. They finance films when buying the rights, and invest in their curation, subtitling, dubbing, programming in their respective countries, for stories from all over the world such as Flow, that just won the Oscar of best animated film, The Room next Door, that won the Golden Lion in 2024, Anatomy of a Fall, Palme dOr 2023, and many, many more. These films wouldnt have been visible nor accessible without their work and the work of all the people working and partnering with them (labs, marketing agencies, dubbing & subtitling studios, festivals, cinemas). Nowadays, all European markets enjoy a dynamic, diverse and rich offer of content, services and access options as documented by the European Audiovisual Observatory and by the European Parliaments Research Service. According to the EAO, on average, Europeans have access to more than 8,500 European films online, of which 82% (~7000) are produced in other European countries an exponential growth in content and services offered to consumers and a proof that European citizens can access more and more content, wherever they are, thanks to the continuous work and adaptation of the film sector. We are in agreement with the rest of the film eco-system that the territoriality of rights and the tool to ensure it, geo-blocking, are essential assets for the film and audio-visual sector to be able to offer this content, to create, produce and bring this diverse offer to the European audiences. As already stated multiple times in the past, ending it would have disastrous consequences for all the film sector and all its workers, and ultimately, for the audiences: if distributors cant release a film and recoup on all the investments made to acquire its rights, make it visible and accessible for the audiences, then they simply cant ensure releases anymore. In consequence of this lack of revenues, they wont be able to invest further and buy rights from sales agents and producers, who in turn wont be able to invest in future films, back authors and their stories. This will lead to a severe impoverishment of the offer, a huge loss in diversity and be a pure lose-lose approach. To the contrary of what is assumed by some, the end of territoriality and geo-blocking wouldnt benefit consumers, far from it. Europeans would have less choice in films, wouldnt benefit from all the curation and the local and adapted versions and of course price to access content would then surge for many: European countries are wonderfully diverse, but so are also the prices for goods. The solid arguments that have been given again and again by the whole AV sector are still valid and showing that the sector must remain excluded from the Regulation, while there are many other respectful means to improve the availability, accessibility and visibility of works in the EU as proved by the many suggestions made by the film sector during the Stakeholders Dialogue on improved access to and availability of audiovisual content across the EU. Undermining the GBR also goes against The Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme, one of the most fantastic initiatives the European Union has built for its citizens. For decades, it has been paramount for Culture and to foster the circulation of European films and enhance their accessibility all around the Union, and is still the case today. By including audiovisual content in the scope of the GBR, policy makers would very sadly counter that work and its impact. Europa Distribution also supports the attached document, submitted by the colleagues from FIAD, International Federation of Film Distributors Associations
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