Thread by @DaveKeating

Let's dig past the tabloidy framing here and discuss what's actually being proposed: changing EU's audiovisual media services directive to use something other than ECTT to determine what is a "European work"

It's stepping into a hornet's nest. Here's why.
theguardian.com/world/2021/jun…

First, why does EUAMSD set a quota for 30% European content on VOD?

It was a French-led idea that has little to do with UK. It's about lessening cultural dominance of the United States.

But is the enemy American content, or English-language content? euractiv.com/section/digita…

Some in 🇫🇷, which sets an even higher content quota (60%), have grumbled 🇬🇧 outsize cultural influence (largely thanks to speaking same language as 🇺🇸 behemoth) means it's also a threat and shouldn't count.

But till now, quota understood to just mean not American.

Here's the problem: even if you believe that America's cultural imperialism is a problem that should be solved with legislation, and that the UK is somehow an American cultural proxy and should be excluded from the quota, changing the directive inevitably leads you into the mire.

The EU directive uses the European Convention on Transfrontier Television, which is not an EU body but part of the Council of Europe (to which the UK still belongs) to determine what is "European content".

These are the countries in the convention. Notice something strange?

Membership in the ECTT was supposed to save the UK from audiovisual #Brexit impacts from leaving the EU and the Audiovisual Media directive (good explainer here).

But as you can see, the ECTT is a weird, outdated beast. 🇹🇷 is in, 🇧🇪&🇮🇪 are not. mediawrites.law/translation-pl…

So it probably makes sense to no longer define what is a "European work" using the ECTT. But then, how do you define it?

Do you say only output from EU countries should count? That seems a very narrow definition of Europe, and also somewhat contrary to the quota's goal.

This will apparently be an initiative of Macron's upcoming EU presidency, alongside others trying to limit English (and promote French).

But will 🇫🇷 tell us only EU-created works are "European"? Or all work on this continent is European except from 🇬🇧?

It's going to get messy.

To sum up: the purpose of European cultural quotas is, and has always been, an effort to reduce the overpowering cultural dominance of America on this continent.

This proposal suggests broadening what is targeted as the perceived threat, from 🇺🇸 to all English-speaking countries