Download "Events of Major Importance for Society in European Audiovisual Law"

The European Audiovisual Observatory, part of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, has just launched its latest in-depth legal analysis: Events of Major Importance for Society in European Audiovisual Law. European audiences have clearly embraced new digital media landscapes as a source of audiovisual content. It is time to explore how the EU ensures viewer access to key sporting, cultural and societal events. This report was authored by Diego de la Vega, Observatory Senior Legal Analyst.

Introductory Chapter One.

Setting the scene, the report opens with a dive into the history and context of regulating events of societal importance. From the first televised coronation in 1937 to today’s digital platforms, the author charts how European lawmakers have long recognised the public’s keen interest in major sporting and cultural events. So there has always been a clear need to guarantee broader access to this kind of events, ensuring that exclusive rights are not exercised in such a way as to deprive a substantial proportion of the public of member states of the possibility of following these events by live or deferred coverage on free television. This kick-off chapter also sets its analysis in the context of rapid changes in how Europeans access content and how audiovisual media service providers are exploring innovative ways to give users access to events of major importance for society along with traditional broadcasting.

Chapter two: Regulating events of major Importance for society

The second chapter delves into the rationale for regulating the broadcast of major events. It reviews the twin legal pillars at European level: Article 14 of the AVMSD and Article 9a of the Council of Europe’s European Convention on Transfrontier Television (ECTT). This section highlights the careful balance struck between exclusivity for broadcasters and ensuring events of shared societal value are available to the widest possible audience. The author also focuses on how member states have implemented and interpreted these rules. He also addresses intersections with competition law to ensure fair access and robust markets.

Chapter three: Defining major events under the AVMSD

This chapter throws a spotlight on Article 14 of the AVMSD, exploring how member states draw up and notify national lists of events considered to be of major importance for society. Courts and policymakers are given significant discretion in this choice, and the report details the strict processes for designation of events, and EU-level notification under Article 14 of the AVMSD when cross-border effect is wanted, designed to uphold the transparency and proportionality of the final lists. The author guides us through the indicators and procedural steps for inclusion—such as cultural resonance, audience size, and tradition of free-to-air broadcasting—that serve as a reference for member states.

Chapter four: Events of major importance at national level

National tastes matter: Chapter Four surveys how member states have used their discretion to create national lists of events reflecting local culture and priorities. While sports dominate (with the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup almost universally featured), the report uncovers a broadening trend: more countries are including women’s sports, headline-making non-sporting events as well as Paralympic sports. Cultural fixtures such as the Eurovision Song Contest, the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert, and national festivals also make the national lists, illustrating the diversity of societal touchstones across Europe. The chapter presents an annex with the most relevant events across Europe and, where available, the scope of their coverage.

The report concludes with an extremely useful country by country table of the main events in lists adopted at national level.

A European Snapshot with National Colour

Packed with in-depth legal analysis, up-to-date data, and case studies from across Europe, this report is essential reading for regulators, broadcasters, rights holders, and all stakeholders invested in the future of Europe’s events of major importance for society.

 Meet the author - Diego de la Vega, Senior Legal Analyst, Department for Legal Information