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Society of Audiovisual Authors

SAA

The Society of Audiovisual Authors represents collective management organisations for European screenwriters and directors.

Lobbying Activity

Audiovisual authors demand higher quotas for European works

18 Dec 2025
Topic — Evaluation and potential update of EU rules governing audiovisual media services.
Message — The SAA requests raising the minimum quota for European works to 40% on streaming platforms. They also call for mandatory investment in local production and clearer rules ensuring European content is prominent.123
Why — This would increase employment opportunities and guarantee fairer pay for European creators.45
Impact — Large US streaming services would face stricter regulations and higher operational costs.67
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Meeting with David Cormand (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

7 Oct 2025 · Dinner on Authors, AI & Copyright

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 Thomas Schmitz (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen)

11 Sept 2025 · Exchange of view on the MFF, AI and copyright policy

Meeting with Nela Riehl (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair) and European Composer and Songwriter Alliance and

3 Sept 2025 · Stakeholder Roundtable on Creators & Performers

SAA urges differentiation between data and copyrighted works

18 Jul 2025
Topic — Consultation on streamlining EU data rules to improve cross-border sharing.
Message — The SAA requests a clear differentiation between data and copyright-protected works. They argue that authorisation is needed and remuneration is due for authors. The strategy must exclude actions that create uncertainty for copyright rightsholders.12
Why — This approach ensures authors receive payment and maintain control over their creations.3
Impact — AI companies would face increased costs for licensing creative works used for training.4
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Meeting with Tiemo Wölken (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

8 Jul 2025 · AI & Copyright

Meeting with David Cormand (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe

3 Jun 2025 · Copyright and generative artificial intelligence

Response to A Culture Compass for Europe

13 May 2025

The Society of Audiovisual Authors is the umbrella association of European collective management organisations (CMOs) representing audiovisual authors. Its 33 members in 25 countries manage rights for over 174,000 film, tv and multimedia European screenwriters and directors. We support audiovisual authors and promote cultural diversity through policies that enable the dissemination of audiovisual authors works to the audience. CMOs role is to give easy, legal access to those works and ensure authors are fairly paid to encourage further creativity for the benefit of society. In our opinion, the new Cultural Compass should put the EU values and fundamental rights, including copyright, at the heart of its guiding principles for cultural policies, supporting programmes and other EUs priorities. The new strategy should encompass the audiovisual sector, which heavily depends on the unique creativity of film and TV writers and directors, and address their legal and economic situation, which varies widely from one country to another. Due to this fragmentation, audiovisual authors are not remunerated for the exploitation of their works on all media in all European countries. CMOs are a key part of the audiovisual ecosystem but they cannot always bridge the gaps when legislation is not aligned. Until the COVID-19 outbreak, the audiovisual sector contributed to the European economy with a growth rate of 11% between 2013-2019. Due to the pandemic, the European cultural and creative economy lost almost a third of its activity in 2020. CMOs proved to be indispensable for culture in general and for creators in particular (EY 2021), adapting their structure, reducing their fixed costs, accelerating the distribution of royalties and mobilising the social funds (SAA, 2020). The Cultural Compass should address todays challenges: Fix streaming loopholes and champion statutory rights to remuneration for audiovisual authors Defend authorisation, remuneration and transparency for the use of copyright-protected works by AI companies Maintain and strengthen the Audiovisual Media Services Directive as a landmark legislation Protect European cultural and audiovisual goods and services in trade negotiations Foster equality, diversity and fairness in the cultural and audiovisual sectors CISAC (2024) predicts that by 2028, AI-generated complete audiovisual outputs will be worth around 48bn. Audiovisual output generation for social media and TV will account for the lion's share of the market. The widespread use of Gen AI tools throughout the production process of audiovisual works could put 21% of creators' revenues at risk by 2028. Gen AI providers' revenues in the audiovisual sector could almost double every year, reaching around 5.3bn in 2028. The AI Act and its Code of Practice are far from solving the problem of all the copyrighted works already being unlawfully scrapped and used for training, and although many CMOs have reached out, AI model developers have shown no interest in entering into licensing negotiations. Many audiovisual authors are self-employed, and their working conditions often exclude them from social security protection and require them to have a second job. As a result, they struggle to find time for their creative activities. In 2023, the OMC group concluded that diversity of working practices should not be an obstacle to obtaining rights. An EU legal status for artists and creative professionals would be a way to recognise atypical work and give access to revenues, funding and benefits. It would also help to reduce social and economic disadvantages. The OMC group recommended existing EU cultural statistics to include income/remuneration. CMOs were mentioned as sources of accurate and reliable data that could inform evidence-based policymaking. The SAA would be happy to participate in a regular structured dialogue with the EC that would address the cultural and audiovisual sectors challenges and ways forward.
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Meeting with Axel Voss (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Google and

6 May 2025 · Copyright and generative AI

Meeting with Glenn Micallef (Commissioner) and

15 Apr 2025 · Introductory meeting

Meeting with Emma Rafowicz (Member of the European Parliament) and Paramount Global

18 Mar 2025 · Audiovisuel et cinéma

Meeting with Lara Wolters (Member of the European Parliament)

31 Jan 2025 · Copyright and IP

Meeting with Sandro Ruotolo (Member of the European Parliament)

29 Jan 2025 · AI code of practice - copyright issue

Meeting with Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Jan 2025 · Author's rights in the Digital Single Market

Meeting with Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Nov 2024 · Challenges faced by the Audiovisual Sector

Meeting with David Cormand (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Nov 2024 · Copyright/authors’ rights and broader Intellectual Property Policy

Meeting with Sandro Ruotolo (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Sept 2024 · 2024-2029 priorities for the Audiovisual sector

Meeting with Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (Member of the European Parliament)

18 Sept 2024 · Priorities of the Cultural Sector for the upcoming Parliamentary Term

Meeting with Katarína Roth Neveďalová (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Sept 2024 · Audiovisual authors' rights

Meeting with Mario Furore (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Sept 2024 · Incontro conoscitivo

Meeting with Laurence Farreng (Member of the European Parliament) and Europa Nostra and

17 Jul 2024 · Politique culturelle et nouveau mandat du Parlement européen

Meeting with Maria Guzenina (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Jul 2024 · Discussion on European Authors

Meeting with Hannes Heide (Member of the European Parliament) and Europa Nostra

17 Jul 2024 · Exchange of views on cultural policy

Meeting with Alice Kuhnke (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Jul 2024 · Copyright, AI and digitalisation

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 Laurence Farreng (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROCINEMA, Association de producteurs de cinéma et de télévision and

20 May 2023 · Secteur du cinéma français et européen

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 Marc Angel (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

29 Sept 2022 · Audiovisual Media Services Directive

Meeting with Laurence Farreng (Member of the European Parliament)

7 Jun 2022 · Prix LUX

Meeting with Niklas Nienass (Member of the European Parliament) and Federation of Screenwriters in Europe

6 Jun 2022 · Dinner after LUX-award

Meeting with Niklas Nienass (Member of the European Parliament)

21 May 2022 · Networking Lunch

Meeting with Pauline Rouch (Cabinet of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel)

18 May 2022 · Young creators and authors' rights

Meeting with Dace Melbārde (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

24 Mar 2021 · Media in the digital decade

Meeting with Werner Stengg (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager) and Groupement Européen des Sociétés d'Auteurs et Compositeurs and

15 Feb 2021 · Presentation of a study on the economic and social importance of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), Copyright Directive, DSA, DMA

Meeting with Alina-Stefania Ujupan (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager), Werner Stengg (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager) and

27 Jan 2021 · Main challenges and priorities for Cultural and Creative Industries to overcome the crisis and allow for the sector to help rebuilding the European economy at large

Meeting with Agnieszka Skonieczna (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton), Terence Zakka (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton)

7 Apr 2020 · COVID impact on authors and audiovisual sector

Meeting with Stig Joergen Gren (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)

22 Oct 2018 · Copyright

Meeting with Mariya Gabriel (Commissioner)

15 Nov 2017 · droit d'auteur dans le marché unique numérique

Meeting with Manuel Mateo Goyet (Cabinet of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel)

14 Sept 2017 · Copyright

Meeting with Stig Joergen Gren (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)

8 Mar 2017 · Copyright, portability, AVMSD

Meeting with Szabolcs Horvath (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics)

7 Sept 2016 · Copyright reform

Meeting with Roberto Viola (Director-General Communications Networks, Content and Technology)

27 Apr 2016 · Copyright package plan for Spring, particularly the authors remuneration issue

Meeting with Anna Herold (Digital Economy)

21 Jan 2016 · copyright

Meeting with Stig Joergen Gren (Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip)

25 Nov 2015 · copyright/cross border access

Meeting with Anna Herold (Digital Economy)

17 Nov 2015 · copyright

Meeting with Andrus Ansip (Vice-President) and

13 Nov 2015 · Meeting with filmmakers and film associations on copyright, fight against piracy, cross-border access and portability of online content services

Meeting with Anna Herold (Digital Economy)

27 Aug 2015 · copyright

Meeting with Andrus Ansip (Vice-President) and

22 Jun 2015 · Copyright, remuneration of authors

Meeting with Friedrich Wenzel Bulst (Cabinet of Commissioner Margrethe Vestager)

10 Jun 2015 · Discussion on Copyright

Meeting with Anna Herold (Digital Economy)

2 Jun 2015 · copyright

Meeting with Anna Herold (Digital Economy)

16 May 2015 · copyright

Meeting with Simona Constantin (Cabinet of Commissioner Věra Jourová)

24 Apr 2015 · Copyright and consumer protection aspects in the Digital Single Market

Meeting with Pauline Rouch (Cabinet of President Jean-Claude Juncker)

21 Apr 2015 · Digital Single Market

Meeting with Tibor Navracsics (Commissioner) and

23 Mar 2015 · Copyright

Meeting with Miguel Ceballos Baron (Cabinet of Vice-President Cecilia Malmström)

10 Mar 2015 · DSM and copyright

Meeting with Marlene Holzner (Digital Economy)

18 Feb 2015 · Audiovisual policy

Meeting with Anna Herold (Digital Economy)

27 Jan 2015 · Copyright

Meeting with Pauline Rouch (Cabinet of President Jean-Claude Juncker)

1 Dec 2014 · Meeting with Meeting with Society of Audiovisual Authors SAA: discuss the future of the European audiovisual and copyright sectors