Giving the opening address at the Austrian Presidency's Expert Seminar entitled 'Content for Competitiveness' last Thursday, European Competition Commissioner, Neelie Kroes hinted at the need for a re-examination of the state aid afforded to national film industries.
She told those attending the seminar in Vienna that:
"One of Europe’s main strengths is its cultural diversity. This is reflected in the production of about one thousand European feature films per year."
Suggesting that major hurdles for European film productions include the absence of a "truly European market" and the lack of commercial finance, Ms Kroes continued:
"State aid can sometimes be needed to overcome these shortcomings. But it should only be used when it fills genuine gaps which market forces and other instruments do not resolve. It must also be used wisely, to avoid unnecessary distortion of competition."
"In 2007 we will revise the rules on State aid to films. This gives us an opportunity to adapt the legal framework so it continues to promote a competitive film industry in Europe."
The UK, France and Ireland are among EU member states with extensive film tax breaks which could be threatened by any EU regime in the sector.
.
Network Tweets
Network BlogsContent
provided by
|
Archive | Resources | Partners | Site Map | Links | Newsletter Archive | Contact | RSS Feeds | About | Syndication | Advertising & Marketing | Recruitment | Terms & Conditions | Privacy & Cookies
Copyright © 2012 - All Rights Reserved - Tax-News.com
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Tax-News.com has taken reasonable care in sourcing and presenting the information contained on this site, but accepts no responsibility for any financial or other loss or damage that may result from its use. In particular, users of the site are advised to take appropriate professional advice before committing themselves to involvement in offshore jurisdictions, offshore trusts or offshore investments.
Write a comment