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European Audiovisual Production Association

CEPI

The European Audiovisual Production association (CEPI) was founded in 1989, to organise and represent the interests of independent cinema and television producers in Europe.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Karlo Ressler (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Oct 2025 · AgoraEU

Meeting with Nela Riehl (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair) and EUROCINEMA, Association de producteurs de cinéma et de télévision and

15 Sept 2025 · Stakeholder Roundtable on European Film Sector

Meeting with Henna Virkkunen (Executive Vice-President) and

4 Sept 2025 · Roundtable with representatives of the media industry

Response to Apply AI Strategy

2 Jun 2025

CEPI the European Audiovisual Production Association represents over 2,600 European independent film and TV producers across Europe through 19 national associations across 17 European countries. The potential of AI tools in the audiovisual sector is immense, offering opportunities for innovation and growth across the industry. Embracing the full potential of technological evolution, particularly the transformative emergence generative AI, is a significant development for the audiovisual sector. Ensuring that the full potential of AI benefits all industry players is crucial. It is not just about levelling the playing field, but also fostering innovation, creativity, and diversity in storytelling, for the entire ecosystem. In that regard, the EU should establish policies and initiatives that promote accessibility and ensure that the efficiencies resulting from AI are available to SMEs and VSEs, as well as support the development of AI tools tailored to independent audiovisual producers uses. Financial support is essential to bridge this gap and enable smaller players to harness the power of AI. Artificial intelligence models need a lot of data to train. Existing copyright rules must be respected and AI systems must be trained solely on lawfully accessed data, including the respect the opt-out rights of the rightsholders, and the obtention of proper licenses and permissions for copyrighted content used in AI training. AI systems must also provide meaningful transparency which is vital for addressing the challenges posed by AI-generated content, which can sometimes blur the lines between human and machine creation. Transparency is required to ensure that audiences are fully aware of the artificial nature of content created by or with AI. Transparency is also required to ensure that rightsholders know whether their works have been used to train AI systems. Meaningful transparency is both legally necessary to allow us to exercise, through licensing for example, and enforce our rights against unlawful use of works or other subject matter, and technically feasible. Disclosures of basic identifying information on the use of copyright protected works or other subject matter should not be circumvented by unfounded claims of trade secrets and confidential business information, which are clearly defined under EU and international law. CEPI calls on the European Commission to pay special care in the interest of rightholders and the respect of copyright law in the development of artificial intelligence systems and the implementation of the AI Act. The effective implementation of the AI Act will ensure a functioning, inclusive and healthy licensing market in Europe. Innovation and creativity should grow hand-in-hand by guaranteeing European creators and right holders remuneration for the use of their works through licences based on EUs copyright laws, while also protecting their investment for the future of cultural and creative industries, one of Europes most globally competitive sectors. AI innovation and copyright protection are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, they can, and must, reinforce each other. A regulatory environment that respects existing copyright law will help foster a competitive, ethical, and human-centric AI landscape in Europe, underpinned by lawful, informed and consented use of high quality and trustworthy European content by European based AI providers, giving the EU a competitive edge in the global AI race and offering long-term benefits for developers, users, and creators alike. AI production, especially in animation, consumes massive amounts of energy, with supercomputers having a substantial carbon footprint. Its crucial to strike a balance between technological innovation and sustainability, ensuring that developments like AI are part of eco-friendly solutions.
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Response to European Democracy Shield

26 May 2025

CEPI represents over 2,600 independent film and TV producers across Europe through 19 national associations across 17 European countries. Audiovisual production plays a vital role in fostering an inclusive, participatory democracy by reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of European societies. Audiovisual content ensures that communities across Europe, regardless of their size and geographical location, see their realities and concerns reflected and shown. This type of representation is essential for strengthening the democratic fabric of the EU, as it nurtures a sense of belonging, encourages civic participation, and upholds the principle that every voice deserves to be heard. Documentaries in particular play a crucial role in democratic life by investigating pressing social issues and amplifying underrepresented voices. They foster critical thinking and public debate, helping citizens make informed decisions and engage more deeply with democratic processes. Moreover, the promotion of minority languages and local cultures through audiovisual content not only protects Europes rich heritage but also counters the homogenizing tendencies of globalized digital media. Audiovisual media is essential for reaching younger audiences and inspiring their participation in democratic life. In that regards, animation stands out as a uniquely powerful tool. Its visual flexibility, emotional accessibility and creative potential allow complex democratic ideas and values to be communicated in ways that are not only understandable, but also memorable and compelling. Animation transcends language barriers, appeals to a wide range of ages, and can effectively blend storytelling with educational content to spark curiosity and discussion. Moreover, animation and other audiovisual formats empower young people to become creators of political and social narratives, not just consumers. Youth-driven animated shorts, web series, or explainer videos have become tools for expressing opinions, raising awareness, and organizing movements on issues like climate change, inclusion, and digital rights. These creative acts constitute a form of political participation in their own right. Encouraging young creators to use animation and more broadly audiovisual production to tell their stories, reflect their values, and challenge systems is crucial for building a democracy that listens and evolves. Supporting these forms of expression through funding, education, and visibility is not simply an investment in culture but an investment in the future of European democracy itself.
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Response to A Culture Compass for Europe

13 May 2025

CEPI the European Audiovisual Production Association represents over 2,600 European independent film and TV producers across Europe through 19 national associations across 17 European countries. CEPI is committed to fostering a thriving and diverse European audiovisual sector, that not only celebrates Europe's cultural heritage, but also contributes significantly to its economic growth. Please find attached CEPI's submission to the "A Culture Compass for Europe" consultation.
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Meeting with Axel Voss (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Google and

6 May 2025 · Copyright and generative AI

Response to Evaluation of the Geo-blocking Regulation

10 Mar 2025

Territorial exclusivity, supported by geo-blocking, plays an indispensable role in securing funding for content development, creation and production, as well as in providing for the optimal marketing, distribution and exploitation of the finished film, TV and other audiovisual content across all distribution channels (theatrical, physical carriers, all forms of broadcasting and all forms of online distribution). Territorial licensing is the foundation of the European audiovisual industry, enabling producers to finance and distribute high-quality, diverse, and locally relevant content across all EU Member States. It is not merely a business strategy but the backbone of the sectors economic model, ensuring that production companies can recoup costs, secure funding for future projects, and tailor content to different national markets. Beyond its economic role, territorial licensing plays a vital part in safeguarding European cultural diversity. Removing territorial exclusivity would not lead to greater choice for consumers but rather to a narrower, homogenized media landscape, where mainstream, internationally profitable content would take precedence over regional productions. A ban on the use of geo-blocking to support territorial exclusivity for film and audiovisual content and services would severely jeopardize the creative and economic sustainability of the film and audiovisual sector in Europe. This would result in a drop in the number and range of films and audiovisual content produced, with a smaller variety of languages. Distribution and circulation would be drastically reduced across the EU. This would have a direct and negative impact on consumer welfare: significant reduction of choice in content, distribution, and access options as well as a surge in prices. The exemption of the audiovisual sector from the Geo-blocking Regulation is therefore not a barrier to consumer access, but a necessary measure to protect cultural diversity, encourage investment, and sustain a thriving creative industry across Europe. The principle of territoriality allows producers to license content on a country-by-country basis, allowing adaption of distribution strategies to the economic conditions and cultural preferences of each region. This approach ensures that content remains affordable in less affluent areas while fostering stronger audience engagement. Exclusive territorial rights provide a crucial incentive for investment in both local and international productions. Without these rights, the industrys financing structure, particularly pre-sale agreements that secure early-stage funding, would be severely undermined. The impact of including AV in the EU Geo-blocking Regulation (https://shorturl.at/JmiTi), by Oxera, indicates that erosion of territorial exclusivity would have a significant short-term impact on industry and consumers, with up to 9.3bn of welfare lost per annumas well as medium- to long-term outcomes that would be worse than they are today (a welfare loss of up to 4.5bn per year). Equally, as regards sports content, the impact of potential changes to geo-blocking regulation on sport (https://shorturl.at/QRIBl), by Oliver & Ohlbaum, shows that 103 million people in the EU could be exposed to higher prices when accessing coverage of many top-tier sport competitions if a ban on geo-blocking were to be introduced. Complementing this comment, please refer to the 2023 Joint Statement (https://shorturl.at/pBzoV) signed by more than 700 organizations and entities across Europe demonstrating the clear and unambiguous call to ensure the continued exclusion of audiovisual services from the Geo-blocking Regulation.
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Meeting with Erik Marquardt (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Feb 2025 · General exchange

Meeting with Idoia Mendia (Member of the European Parliament)

29 Jan 2025 · Meeting with CEPI

Meeting with Sophia Kircher (Member of the European Parliament)

15 Jan 2025 · Creative Europe

Meeting with Sabine Verheyen (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and EUROCINEMA, Association de producteurs de cinéma et de télévision and

31 May 2023 · European Media Freedom Act

Meeting with Petra Kammerevert (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs and

12 Oct 2022 · Implementierung AVMD

Meeting with Agnieszka Skonieczna (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton)

8 Jul 2020 · EU recovery plan and culture and creative ecosystem