What is the Audiovisual Media Services Directive?

Directive 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Directive 2010/13/EU, also known as the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) governs EU-wide coordination of national legislation on all audiovisual media - traditional TV broadcasts, on-demand services and video-sharing platforms (VSPs).

Fostering cultural diversity is a key priority of the Directive, with obligations of quotas of European works in video-on-demand catalogues and the application on linar and non-linear services of the targeted country's rules regarding financial contributions.

The 2018 revision of the AVMSD took into consideration the rapid changes of the audiovisual media services ecosystem, with its Articles 28a and 28b providing for specific rules applying to VSP providers established on the territory of an EU-27 member state. In particular, Article 28b(3) introduces rules regarding the protection of minors on VSPs.

Last reviewed in 2018 with Directive 2018/1808, the AVMSD is in the process of being evaluated by the European Commission. On 13 May 2025, the Council of the EU set out its priorities for the audiovisual media sector in a document highlighting the crucial role of the AVMSD in providing a legal framework to safeguard and promote a diverse, fair, safe, trustworthy and competitive market for audiovisual media in the EU and ensure independent, trustowrthy and culturally diverse audiovisual content.

Reviewing the AVMSD
The Council's conclusions, which can be expected to steer the assessment of the AVMSD by the European Commission, highlighted a series of key points:
- the scope of the AVMSD should be wide, clear and adaptable enough to cover all relevant kinds of audiovisual media content, including those produced by influencers or professional content creators;
- the rules should ensure a high level of protection of children and young people, bearing in mind the international nature of the most widely used on-demand servies;
- the provisions governing video-sharing platforms, such as YouTube and Tiktok, should be robust enough to protect the general public from harm and other societal risks;
- use of reliable, pluralistic media should be promoted and reinforced to combat disinformation and foreign manipulation or interference;
- wide access to events of cultural importance, such as major sporting events, should be safeguarded.

For more on the upcoming AVMSD review, take a look at the Observatory's presentation from 4 June 2025 in Vienna.