Public financing for film and television content – The state of soft money in Europe

Public Financing is of prime importance for the film industry in Europe. It represents a key intersection point between public policy and market dynamics.

This report of the European Audiovisual Observatory on Public financing for film and television content – The state of soft money in Europe covers, over the years 2010-2014:

+ 35 European Countries
+ direct public funding through the film funds
+ fiscal incentives
+ mandatory obligations for broadcasters
+ guarantee facilities.

The first and main section is dedicated to the analysis of the 250 funds in operation. The basic indicators tracked by the report are

+ number of funds and their evolution;
+ income by type and source (government budgets – levies – taxes – lottery, etc.);
+ spend by type of activity (development, film production, TV production, distribution, promotion, etc.).

The indicators of this first section are broken down by geographical level (national/federal, regional/local and supranational) as well as by country.

The second section establishes a typology for fiscal incentive schemes and gives a detailed list of existing mechanisms in Europe. It further looks at the impact and benefits of these schemes (see also a previous Observatory report on the subject of fiscal incentives).

The third section covers all mandatory obligations for public and private broadcasting companies to invest into the production of audiovisual works (see also a previous Observatory report focusing on the legal aspects of broadcasters’ investment obligations).

The fourth section focuses on a relatively new instrument, guarantee facilities. The report describes the European Commission’s guarantee facility to be launched by the end of 2016 by the European Investment bank.

The geographical scope includes all 28 EU members - except Malta - plus Albania*, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ex-Yugosloav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Norway, Russia*, Switzerland and Turkey (* only in the funding body population).

EAO: Public financing for film and television content – The state of soft money in Europe, July 2016 http://shop.obs.coe.int/en/market-and-financing-reports/37-public-financing-for-film-and-television-content-the-state-of-soft-money-in-europe.html

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