11/04/2013 - The National Assembly has adopted a resolution defending the observance of cultural exception in negotiations between the EU and the United States

In response to the draft mandate of the European Commission authorizing the opening of negotiations for a global agreement on commerce and investment between the EU and the United States which would include cultural and audiovisual services (article), French Members of Parliament adopted a resolution yesterday defending the respect of cultural exception.

The text “demands that audiovisual services be immediately excluded from the mandate ofnegotiations of the Commission concerning the trans-Atlantic Partnership on commerce and investment between the European Union and the United States of America, in order to ensure the durability of the European cinematographic and audiovisual industry, particularly in the digital field".

The National Assembly also specifies “its attachment to the principle of technological neutrality, in virtue of which the nature of the support does not modify the content of the work, and emphasizes that insertion of information and communication technologies into the free-trade agreement would not be a way of getting around the protection of cultural diversity, especially that attached to audiovisual and cinematographic contents".

Finally, it asks the French government to exercise “its right of veto if necessary, in the name of the protection of cultural diversity” during the review of this question on June 14th by the Council of the European Union. 

(Translated from French)