Antonio TAJANI, EP President, gives the opening speech at the High-level roundtable on the audio-visual media and the challenge of the digital revolution, organised in the EP in Brussels.

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

conference

Audiovisual Media Services Directive (T)

High-level roundtable on the audio-visual media and the challenge of the digital revolution: opening speech by Antonio TAJANI, EP President

Arrival of EP President Antonio TAJANI (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Since the end of the nineties, digital technology and their application have become part of our everyday reality like in the case of other technological industrial revolution were produced in a different way, were providing services in a different way and provide information that is consumed differently. The audiovisual sector is undoubtably one of the sectors that feels the impact of this revolution. In our liberal democracies freedom and responsibility have to go hand in hand. However, it has not always been the case, not only because fast-growing digital applications but also because of an ideological misconception which sees in any attempt to regulate an attempt to suspend the development of information. 

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, The new copyright rules allow us to take a step forward. We cannot accept that Internet giants that pay minimal taxes in the EU, shift their profits to the US or China and actually are getting richer at the expense of creating content in Europe. Without an adequate remuneration of your work, which has been for many years mine too, many jobs and the European cultural identity are at risk.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Our single market cannot work properly if some of our operators on the audiovisual scene pay taxes but others just pay peanuts. The EU member states that offer tax breaks in order to attract these companies to their countries damage the whole EU and punish our audiovisual industry playing into the hands of the US and China. As put forward by the Parliament and the Commission platforms have to be taxed where they create value. In other words, where they get their advertising reveneu from, where they get data, they get hits or where they carry out their financial operations. We want to use these taxes revenue in order to help the European audiovisual sector and our cultural industry from the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, Member of the EC in charge of the Digital agenda, The directive is also putting responsibility on video sharing platforms because it requires transparency rules as far advertising goes and it requires platforms to establish measures to protect minors and consumers, which is very important for the Parliament and part of its position during the negotiations. There are also measures in place to prevent the dissemination of hate speech, encitement of violence and to curb the distribution of terrorism content. 