65 Amendments of Tomasz FRANKOWSKI related to 2021/2017(INI)
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
— having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/523 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 March 2021 establishing the InvestEU programme,
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions on safeguarding a free and pluralistic media system of 18 November 2020,
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 b (new)
Citation 22 b (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions on "Europe's media in the Digital Decade: An Action Plan to Support Recovery and Transformation" of 18 May 2021,
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the cultural and creative sectors, of which news media and audiovisual sectors are an integral part, have been among the hardest hit by the fallout from COVID-19, especially small and medium enterprises; whereas these sectors are also expected to recover at a more moderate pace than the general economy; whereas the major impact of the pandemic on those sectors has caused damages and significant losses in revenues, creating further uncertainties which accelerated their ongoing digital transition and highlighted their deep fragmentation;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the cultural and creative sectors, of which newseditorial media and audiovisual sectors are an integral part, have been among the hardest hit by the fallout from COVID-19; whereas these sectors are also expected to recover at a more moderate pace than the general economy;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the film and audiovisual sector has suffered a massive loss of revenues – a drop of almost 70% in box office for cinemas and distributors, a drop of activity of 30% for the production and a total halt of coproductions, while facing an increase in operation costs because of new health and safety measures;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, according to early estimates, the entire news media sector saw its advertising revenues drop by 20 % to 80 %; whereas media organisations face liquidity issues;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, according to early estimates, newseditorial media saw its advertising revenues drop by 20 % to 80 %; whereas media organisations face liquidity issues;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas quality, well-financed and independent news media and professional journalism are an essential pillar of democracy; whereas every effort must be made to increase media pluralism3 , independency, transparency, media literacy, better journalistic profession standards and safety of journalists, both offline and online; _________________ 3 No EU country registers a low level of risk in the market plurality area according to ‘Monitoring Media Pluralism in the Digital Era’, p. 50:https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/ 1814/67828/MPM2020- PolicyReport.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed =y
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas quality, well-financed and independent newseditorial media and professional journalism are an essential pillar of democracy; whereas every effort must be made to increase media pluralism3 ; _________________ 3 No EU country registers a low level of risk in the market plurality area according to ‘Monitoring Media Pluralism in the Digital Era’, p. 50:https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/ 1814/67828/MPM2020- PolicyReport.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed =y
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the news media and audiovisual sector s plays a vital part in fostering the resilience and inclusiveness of our democratic societies; whereas the heterogeneity of thenews media and audiovisual sector is valso one of its strengths, helping to promote and strengthenue chain is made up of a variety of industries and sectors, all of whom contribute significantly to Europe’s cultural, linguistic, social and political diversity;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the audiovisual sector plays a vital part in fostering the resilience of our democratic societies, cultural diversity or media pluralism; whereas the heterogeneity of the sector is also one of its strengths, helping to promote and strengthen Europe’s cultural, linguistic, social and political diversity;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the objective of the Plan should be to foster cultural, artistic and industrial diversity across the value chain to ensure recovery and sustainability of the film sector through artistic and industry autonomy for the purpose of providing audiences with culturally diverse content;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Urges the European Commission to acknowledge the unique nature of Euranet Plus as an independent radio network that successfully bridges the information gap between the EU and its citizens by strengthening understanding of and promoting debate on all fields of EU policy-making; calls for a renewal of Euranet Plus’ current core funding in the form of a transitional grant agreement for at least two years, so that it may develop a long-term strategic plan that aims to develop the network further by the end of 2027 in view of extending its membership, geographic and linguistic coverage, preparing for the digital shift and investing in further improvements of its products and services;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. HWelcomes the adoption of the new Creative Europe programme and its budgetary increase; highlights the importance of the cross-sectoral strand in the Creative Europe programme, which for the first time provides for actions focused on the news media;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Recalls that access to support and the swift delivery of that support will be crucial to allow the sector to create and bring unique and divers stories to the European audiences for years to come;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Invites the Commission to conduct a study, develop guidelines and share among Member States the best practices in public financing mechanisms on news media funding support in the EU, reiterates that the study should be carried out by independent bodies; calls on the Commission to develop guidelines and share among Member States the best practices in public financing mechanisms that will help the sector get back on its feet; highlights that distribution of public funding needs to be clear, independent and transparent;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that tax policies can help recovery and resilience of these sectors; encourages Member States with adequate fiscal scope to help boost media and cinema consumption throughproduction, distribution and consumption and cinema consumption through tax credits to incentivise investments and lower VAT rates that accommodate this;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that tax policies can help recovery and resilience of these sectors; encourages Member States with adequate fiscal scope to help boost media and cinema consumptioncreation, production, distribution and consumption of news media and audiovisual works, including cinema through VAT rates that accommodate this;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that support for strengthening independent media and media and information literacy should also be an integral part of the EU’s foreign policy that will contribute to its public diplomacy, geopolitical visibility and strategic autonomy;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that initiatives and support measures to safeguard and promote media freedom and plurality cover not only news media but all editorial media, as it is a matter of fact that for example trade magazines or opinion journalism, not covered by a rather unclear definition of “news media”, indeed form an important part of a free and pluralist press sector;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Recalls that Creative Europe MEDIA should endeavor to balance funding between the Member States, between its different strands and genres; recalls that it is essential to the sector that Member States nurture an ecosystem of independent players as a key driver to diversity of creation;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Draws attention to the fact that the current crisis riskis speeding up newseditorial media consolidation to the detriment of media pluralism in the Union; considers that these trends are particularly unwelcome in smaller markets where the choice is already limited; asks, therefore, for the competition authorities to remain vigilant and consider the long-term impact of mergers and acquisitions not only on market share, but also on linguistic and cultural diversity;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Notes that conditions of competition are changing rapidly in the media and audiovisual sectors as markets converge, and that traditional media need to scale-up and grow also for wider societal reasons; Invites the Commission to better take into account developments in the digital competitive environment to enable EU media players to continue to compete and play a significant role in the long term;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that global online platforms have a vast disruptive impact on the media sector, as they dominate the data and advertising market, and have radically changed audience consumption patterns; underlines that current legislation does not regulateprovide for a fair environment on pivotal issues in the information ecosystem such as fair access to data, digital advertising, algorithmic transparency, platform accountability, must-show and other questions; considers that timely adoption of legislation such as the Digital Services Act Package and a significantly reinforced Code of Practice of disinformation, and an efficient implementation and enforcement of the rules of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive to ensure a balanced competitive environment, a level playing field and equal level of protection for consumers to help address these shortcomings is a matter of urgency;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that global online platforms have a vast disruptive impact on the media sector, as they dominate the data and advertising market, and have radically changed audience consumption patterns; underlines that current legislation does not regulate pivotal issues in the information ecosystem such as access to data, digital advertising, algorithmic transparency, platform accountability, must-show and other questions; considers that transparency is needed to ensure fairer presence of European works on online platforms and to provide real consumer choice within the platforms’ recommendation system, including the possibility to refuse biases encoded in algorithms; considers that timely adoption of legislation to help address these shortcomings is a matter of urgency;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that global online platforms have a vast disruptive impact on the media sector, as they dominate the data and advertising market, and have radically changed audience consumption patterns; underlines that current legislation does not regulate pivotal issues in the information ecosystem such as access to and transparency of data, digital advertising, algorithmic transparency, platform accountability, must-show and other questions; considers that timely adoption of legislation to help address these shortcomings is a matter of urgency;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 9 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Highlights the need for availability of information and access to news media for every European citizen in their respective languages, in order for them to inclusively and actively participate in democratic processes;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Considers the transposition of the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the Copyright Directive to be essential for cultural diversity in the digital sector and for the sustainability of audiovisual services, in that these directives tighten up copyright protection and increase the visibility of European works;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Points out that the fight against pirating of copyrighted content is also essential for the proper functioning of the European media market; stresses the need to adopt clear and legally binding measures to combat online piracy, and to propagate the means available for combating multiple intermediaries so as to better counteract all forms of circumvention;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Points to the European Council conclusions of 27 November 2020 on the on safeguarding a free and pluralistic media system, which stress that 'territorial and exclusive allocation of licensing rights can often be crucial for the audiovisual media sector'; views the principle of territoriality as one of the cornerstones of the European audiovisual industry, not least when it comes to funding audiovisual works and protecting copyright, but also as regards cultural diversity; believes that maintaining the principle of territoriality will prevent the concentration of dominant players on the market, which would be detrimental to alternative and independent offers;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recognises the additional challenges for newseditorial media operating in smaller markets, including local, regional and niche media, which have limited revenues, and are not viable using current commercial business models, and which cannot embrace new ones that media operating in larger markets can; believes, therefore, that public funding mechanisms based on the arm’s length principle are increasingly necessary;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Recognises the need for an effective enforcement of the rules on copyright, as intellectual property rights are essential to the audiovisual sectors financing; Stresses that ensuring the responsibility and accountability of online platforms is an important step towards a vibrant audiovisual system that rewards investment in content creation; Considers that the implementation of Directive 2019/790 and the swift adoption of an ambitious Digital Services Act Package are opportunities to rectify the regulatory imbalances in the digital space and to address online piracy which is detrimental to European creative industries; Considers that this drain on investment in Europe’s cultural and media landscape needs to be addressed with practical tools, such as the use of dynamic injunctions, immediate take-downs upon notification, and clarifications of the legal regime applicable to services posting hyperlinks to websites on which copyright-protected works have been made available without the consent of the right holders;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Expresses concern about the disruptive trends created by the platforms, as they can undermine competition in the long term, and reduce opportunities for other actors; notes that such actions can create unfair competition conditions with an impact on independent production and distribution of audiovisual works; asks the Commission to monitor the situation closely and, if appropriate, take necessary action to make conditions for competition more equitable;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the progress made in working out a global solution to effectively taxing the digital economy, based on digital businesses paying tax according to their economic activities in each country; considers that these new sources of revenue should be appropriately scoped to avoid double taxation and be channelled by Member States to support their audiovisual and newseditorial media sectors;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the progress made in working out a global solution to effectively taxing the digital economy, based on digital businesses paying tax according to their economic activities in each country, while avoiding double taxation; considers that these new sources of revenue should be channelled by Member States to support their audiovisual and news media sectors;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Believes that to sustain investments in media and audiovisual content in the longer term, an effective level playing field of all actors on the market is vital; is of the opinion that many online platforms do not invest themselves in creative content nor in journalism and yet extract a large share of advertising revenues from foreign content they host, thus calls on the Commission to achieve a regulatory level playing field by ensuring European citizens are equally protected no matter what distribution means they choose to access content and information;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to elaborate comprehensive European newseditorial media and audiovisual sector strategies, considers that such a strategy should be holistic and explore all options available, including tax incentives, trade policy, a liberalization agenda for media and more accountability and rules for online platforms to establish a regulatory level playing field to allow media to continue to invest in news and cultural content while protecting European consumers equally online and offline;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission and Member States to elaborate comprehensive European news media and audiovisual sector strategies that will provide tailored support measures for the entire news media and audiovisual sectors;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 14 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Calls on Member States to properly implement Article 13.1. of the AVMSD that will ensure that media service providers of on-demand audiovisual media services under their jurisdiction secure at least 30 percent share of European works in their catalogues whilst also promoting it; highlights the importance of this for smaller cultural and linguistic markets, as it will boost cultural diversity in the broadest sense possible;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the need for transformation in the newseditorial media sector, including through the digitalisation of newsrooms, the uptake of artificial intelligence (AI), changes and improvements to content creation and presentation, as well as better distribution and subscription models, including micro-payments; notes that the above require additional investment and skills that newseditorial media sector players often lack, especially those with small market share; calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide tailored support for the digital transformation of the sector;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the need for transformation in the entire news media sector, including through the digitalisation of newsrooms, the uptake of artificial intelligence (AI), changes and improvements to content creation and presentation, as well as better distribution and subscription models, including micro-payments; notes that the above require additional investment and skills that news media sector players often lack, especially those with small market share; calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide tailored support for the digital transformation of the sector;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Acknowledges the importance of independent freelance journalism and its potential for growth due to lower entry costs and easier ways to reach an audience, facilitated by innovative publishing and payment solutions, which can improve the economic situation and working conditions for freelance professionals;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers that in order to help spur competition, the EU also needs to promote the creation and growth of small and medium enterprises and digital media start-ups through easier access to finance and a supportive framework that enables scalability;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges that the existing creation and distribution models in the European audiovisual sector are largely based on territorial exclusivity, andUnderlines the need for territorial exclusivity for the sustainability of the audiovisual sector, notes that ownership of intellectual property rights is often held by independent producers and creators, creators and distributors; reiterates the fact that independent cinemas and independent film festivals are of key importance for the resilience of the sector;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges that the existing creation and distribution models in the European audiovisual sector are largely based on territorial exclusivity, andRecalls the utmost importance of territorial exclusivity for the sustainability and financing structures of the audiovisual sector, notes that ownership of intellectual property rights is often held by independent producers and creators in Europe;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 19 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Highlights the fact that VOD and TVOD currently dominate the audiovisual sector market; highlights the importance of territorial exclusivity and licensing rights for the survival and sufficient functioning of the audiovisual sector;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Is of the view that targeted measures to support co- production, translation, subtitling, pre-sale of future distribution rights and co-distribution could contribute to increasing the availability of diverse European audiovisual content;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines that video on demand (VOD) platforms and other innovations are reshaping there now fully part of the film and audiovisual media landscape, and by extension creating challenges and also opportunities for incumbent players; notes that in many respects, an irreversible transformation is under way; encouragbelieves the sector’s legacy players to enter new markets and embrace innovative business modelestablished players are also innovating constantly to engage with and offer the best works to their audiences;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines that video on demand (VOD) platforms and other innovations are reshaping the audiovisual media landscape, and by extension creating challenges and also opportunities for incumbent players; notes that in many respects, an irreversible transformation is under way; encourages the sector’`s legacy players to continue to enter new markets and embrace innovative business models;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 21 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Urges the Commission and Member States to create tools and support actions that pay attention to low audiovisual production capacity of some Member States; by encouraging investments to fulfil the VOD platform obligation to secure a 30 percent share of European works in their catalogue; notes that this is crucial for smaller cultural and linguistic markets within Member States;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Notes that the weak regulation of the digital space has been exploited to disseminate content harmful to minors, particularly on video-sharing platforms; considers it important, therefore, to shield minors from harmful content on video- sharing platforms by ensuring full implementation of the current legal framework, and in particular the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive, through the introduction of financial penalties for platforms that do not comply with current obligations, the strengthening of judicial systems to effectively combat the offences identified and the promotion of coordinated preventive action by public and private stakeholders;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Acknowledges that fair market competition between broadcasters and video on demand companies is paramount for the future existence of the sectors, as confirmed with the Audiovisual Media Services Directive; encourages the Commission to conduct a study on the impact of video on demand platforms on the European audiovisual market;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Encourages the European Commission to look into the impact of VOD platforms on the European film and audiovisual market, in particular on the relationships between the different actors in the value chain;
Amendment 255 #
21 b. Reiterates the need for tailored support, investment and public funding schemes that will help production, boost the circulation of European works in the European Union and beyond, and promote diverse European film across all distribution platforms, including cinemas, DVD, TV and online platforms;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21 c. Emphasises the necessity to promote synergies between different EU funding schemes with specific amounts dedicated to the entire news media and audiovisual sectors, such as Creative Europe, Horizon Europe, InvestEU and Digital Europe;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses the importance of reducing the audiovisual sector’s carbon footprint, especially at the production stage, which accounts for most CO2 emissions; notes that digital solutions such as virtual production techniques can facilitate this reduction; believes that the current MFF provides a unique opportunity for funding greening projects and reaching net zero emissions within this decade; calls on the Commission and Member States to exchange good practices and voluntary standards for the audiovisual sector in order to meet EU's target to become climate neutral by 2050;
Amendment 261 #
22. Stresses the importance of reducing the audiovisual sector’s carbon footprint, especially at the production stage, which accounts for most CO2 emissions; notes that digital solutions such as virtual production techniques can facilitate this reduction; believes that the current MFF provides a unique opportunity for funding greening projects and reaching net zero emissions within this decade, Calls on the Commission to support exchanges of best practices and voluntary standards for the audiovisual sector;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Highlights that film literacy is particularly important for making younger audiences aware of European cultural diversity; notes that European creators, producers, distributors and cinema have a key role to play; considers it necessary to develop a film literacy toolkit;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Considers that sustainable financing for digitisation, translation, subtitling and promoting the availability of Europe’s audiovisual and film heritage is necessary in order to make it more accessible, expresses its continuous support for the Lux Audience Award, and its recent expansion to the people´s vote as an instrument to increase the knowledge of the European public about the variety of the European cinema;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 24 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Calls on the Commission to elaborate more comprehensive strategies for the European news media and audiovisual sectors and establish a regulatory level playing field to sustain investments in both sectors, including online platforms;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to further support the recovery and transformation of the entire news media and audiovisual sectors and to strengthen their resilience and market competitiveness in order to tackle future crises as effectively as possible; including financial and structural support for workers and SME's within the entire news media and audiovisual sectors;