IRIS Reports
IRIS Reports regroup all of the Observatory’s legal reports, with the exception of the mapping reports and AVMSDigest.
IRIS Reports can be in-house reports or reports authored by external experts. They are detailed legal reports on specific topics, sometimes including national case studies.
The reports are sorted by year of publication.
AVMSDigest - Safe screens: protecting minors online
This report investigates how the AVMS Directive can help protect minors online.
Legal challenges and market dynamics in the video games sector
This publication explores the legal framework for video games.
AI and the audiovisual sector: navigating the current legal landscape
This publication explores the legal framework around AI in the audiovisual sector.
Media literacy and the empowerment of users
This publication delves into the critical role media literacy plays in today's digital age, offering insights into current strategies in place to enhance users' abilities to navigate the complex media landscape.
Curtains up on regulation and support measures for the cinema exhibition sector
This report examines the regulatory landscape concerning the cinema exhibition sector.
IRIS Themes - Vol. III - Freedom of Expression, the Media and Journalists. Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (2024 edition)
This revised 9th edition contains summaries of over 398 judgements or decisions by the Court and provides hyperlinks to the full text of each of the summarised judgements or decisions. The summaries included in the e-book can be retrieved from our legal database, IRIS Merlin.
Rules on levies to film funds
This table is a comprehensive resource on the mechanisms behind national film funding. It offers an overview table detailing the types of contributions to national film funds, distinguishing between "levies" and "state budget," along with the diverse range of contributors involved.
IRIS Special 2023-2: Algorithmic transparency and accountability of digital services
A must-read round-up of the current issues concerning algorithm use in Europe and the legislator's approach to ensuring greater transparency in order to regulate these new AI systems.
IRIS Plus 2023-3: Fair remuneration for audiovisual authors and performers in licensing agreements
This report examines how the EU Directive 2019/790 on Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Single Market (CDSM Directive) aims to strengthen the position of authors and performers when licensing their exclusive rights for the use of their works or performances.
Fair remuneration for audiovisual authors and performers in licensing agreements - National case studies
This annex complements the publication on “Fair remuneration for creators in exploitation contracts”. It provides a detailed analysis of the transposition of Chapter 3 of Title IV of the Directive on Copyright in the digital single market (CDSM Directive).
AVMSDigest: The promotion of European works
This first edition of the AVMSDigest report focuses on the national transposition of Articles 13, 16 and 17 of the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive in the EU, EEA, EFTA and UK.
IRIS Special 2023-1: Public interest content on audiovisual platforms: access and findability
This legal analysis explores the place for public interest content and looks at how European media law can safeguard its accessibility.
IRIS Extra 2023: Media law and policy in selected Black Sea region countries
This report provides an in-depth analysis of European media law in five Black Sea Region countries - the Republic of Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Türkiye, and Ukraine.
IRIS Plus 2023-2: Territoriality and release windows in the European audiovisual sector
This new report explores current EU legislation and market practice concerning release windows and territoriality.
IRIS Themes - Vol. III - Freedom of Expression, the Media and Journalists. Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (2023 edition)
This revised 8th edition contains summaries of over 378 judgements or decisions by the Court and provides hyperlinks to the full text of each of the summarised judgements or decisions. The summaries included in the e-book can be retrieved from our legal database, IRIS Merlin.
IRIS Plus 2023-1: Accessibility of audiovisual content for persons with disabilities
This report explores the ways in which international and European legislation, as well as national approaches, can help to improve accessibility to audiovisual content for those of us with disabilities.
IRIS Special 2022-2: Prominence of European works and of services of general interest
IRIS Plus 2022-3: User empowerment against disinformation online
This new report examines the various tools to empower today’s media users to be able to deal with disinformation.
IRIS Extra 2022: Sanction law against Russian and Belarusian audiovisual media
This report provides information on legislative measures and case law in Ukraine and elsewhere in Eastern Europe (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Moldova) against audiovisual media from Russia and Belarus.
IRIS Special 2022-1: New actors and risks in online advertising
This new report provides a detailed examination of the current legal framework regulating online advertising.
IRIS Plus 2022-2: Investing in European works: the obligations on VOD providers
This report by the European Audiovisual Observatory describes the rules concerning financial obligations for VoD services in the EU with a close look to the national transposition of the AVMS Directive. (This is an updated version of the report originally published on 18/05/2022)
IRIS Themes - Vol. III - Freedom of Expression, the Media and Journalists. Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (2022 edition)
This revised edition contains summaries of over 360 judgements or decisions by the Court and provides hyperlinks to the full text of each of the summarised judgements or decisions. The summaries included in the e-book can be retrieved from our legal database, IRIS Merlin.
The implementation of EU sanctions against RT and Sputnik
This note explains the European legal background for suspension of the broadcasting of RT and Sputnik in the EU.
Overview tables of governance safeguards of PSM in Europe
This annex to the IRIS Plus 2022-01 provides overview tables on independence safeguards for governance of public service media in the 41 Observatory member states.
IRIS Plus 2022-1: Governance and independence of public service media
This new report looks at the various aspects of governance of public service media and its role in safeguarding the independence of PSM.
IRIS Special 2021-2: Transparency of media ownership
This publication aims at providing some clarity about how the transparency of media ownership is regulated in Europe.
IRIS Plus 2021-2: Media regulatory authorities and the challenges of cooperation
The report examines the current challenges facing National Regulatory Authorities and asks how cooperation between the various NRAs can strengthen their mission.
IRIS Special 2021-1: Unravelling the Digital Services Act Package
A state-of-the-art analysis of how European media legislation proposes to deal with the challenges of regulating online content and those who provide digital services – in the shape of the Digital Services Act Package.
IRIS Extra 2021: Regulation of social media in Russia
How does Russia regulate social media platforms? Read our latest report and find out!
IRIS Plus 2021-1: Diversity and inclusion in the audiovisual sector
This publication aims at presenting the variety of measures in place with regard to diversity and inclusion in a non-comprehensive way - in a way which not only illustrates all the good work that has been done in recent years, but which also highlights shortcomings and challenges for the future.
IRIS Bonus 2021-1: Reports on diversity and inclusion in the European audiovisual sector - an overview
Intended as a free working tool to accompany the reading of the IRIS Plus on “Diversity and inclusion in the audiovisual sector” this IRIS Bonus is the result of the desk research done for the preparation of the IRIS Plus and the preliminary workshop for the analysis of the topic.
IRIS Themes - Vol. III - Freedom of Expression, the Media and Journalists. Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (2021 edition)
This revised edition contains summaries of over 339 judgements or decisions by the Court and provides hyperlinks to the full text of each of the summarised judgements or decisions. The summaries included in the e-book can be retrieved from our legal database, IRIS Merlin.
Post-Brexit rules for the European audiovisual sector
From 1 January 2021 the relations between the UK and the European Union are governed by a Trade and Cooperation Agreement, as a result of the deal that was reached in the very last days of 2020. These new rules will affect every economic sector, including the audiovisual.
IRIS Special 2020-2: Artificial intelligence in the audiovisual sector
In the audiovisual industry, as in other sectors, the increasing use of artificial intelligence is likely to herald a paradigm shift, as it can transform the entire value chain. This new report discusses the opportunities and challenges raised by AI in this sector.
IRIS Extra 2020: Foreign agents in Russian media law
How does Russian media law deal with media outlets owned by non-Russian players? This latest IRIS Extra report delves into foreign ownership of the media in Russia and the provisions for this in Russian audiovisual legislation.
IRIS Special 2020-1: Media pluralism and competition issues
This IRIS Special 2020-1 report contributes to the debate on the relationship between safeguarding media pluralism and effective competition in the age of digitisation and globalisation, especially with regard to new diversity-relevant phenomena in the digital platform economy.
IRIS Plus 2020-1: Copyright licensing rules in the EU
The application of copyright rules attached to audiovisual works and their exploitation along the value chain are becoming increasingly complex. This new and very timely copyright report provides a pathfinder’s thread through European copyright rules.
IRIS Plus 2020-2: The European audiovisual industry in the time of COVID-19
With its comparative analysis of approaches taken in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, this IRIS Plus helps the reader understand the diversity of approaches, interests, and measures taken across the film and audiovisual sector, and the diversity of the bodies taking them.
IRIS Themes - Vol. III - Freedom of Expression, the Media and Journalists. Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (2020 edition)
This revised edition contains summaries of over 300 judgements or decisions by the Court and provides hyperlinks to the full text of each of the summarised judgements or decisions. The summaries included in the e-book can be retrieved from our legal database, IRIS Merlin.
IRIS Plus 2019-3: Territoriality and financing of audiovisual works: latest developments
This publication focuses in parallel on copyright and media regulation in order to take a closer look at the impact of the two leading concepts of “territoriality of copyright” and “country of origin” on the financing of audiovisual works in the digital single market.
IRIS Special 2019-2: Self- and co-regulation in the new AVMSD
This publication aims to analyse the system of self- and co-regulation provided for in the revised AVMSD.
IRIS Plus 2019-2: Release windows in Europe: a matter of time
This latest report clarifies the current release windows situation in Europe by providing a thorough analysis of the system and the economic and legal rationale on which it is based.
IRIS Special 2019-1: The independence of media regulatory authorities in Europe
This IRIS Special aims to advance understanding of the ways in which the revised AVMSD may have an impact on current legislation and practices.
IRIS Extra 2019-1: Disinformation in the media under Russian law
This article provides an overview of the legislation and case law concerning disinformation in the Russian Federation.
IRIS Plus 2019-1: The promotion of independent audiovisual production in Europe
This publication aims at providing an overview of many relevant issues concerning the independent production of films and audiovisual works in Europe, including market figures, international and national rules, inter-professional agreements and case law.
IRIS Special 2018-2: Media law enforcement without frontiers
This report provides an in-depth overview of relevant issues, from the challenges of law enforcement in the online environment to the scope of intervention of competent public bodies concerning cross-border activities and the practices of regulatory authorities.
IRIS Plus 2018-3: The legal framework for international co-productions
This publication provides an overview of many relevant issues concerning the co-production of films and other audiovisual works in Europe, including market figures, international and national rules, and funds supporting co-production.
IRIS Plus 2018-2: Brexit: The impact on the audiovisual sector
This publication provides information on current key facts and figures on the weight of the UK in the European audiovisual market and on the main features of the legal framework that will cease to apply from 30 March 2019.
IRIS Extra 2018-1: The legal framework concerning foreign ownership in Russian media
This article provides an overview of the Russian approach to foreign ownership of the media and explores the evolution of the foreign participation rules in the Russian media market.
IRIS Special 2018-1: Media reporting: facts, nothing but facts?
This report provides an overview of how the principles of accuracy, objectivity and fairness in news and current affairs reporting are regulated at European and national level, as well as how they are applied by European media organisations.
IRIS Plus 2018-1: The legal framework for video-sharing platforms
This report attempts to give an overview of the state of current legislation at European and national level. It includes the latest regulatory initiatives, the most recent developments around the case law of courts and other bodies and also outlines the self-regulatory initiatives of the industry.
Notification obligations for state aid concerning audiovisual works in the EU
Article 108(3) TFEU says the Commission must be notified in time for it to submit its comments, of any plans to grant or alter aid. In 2014, the revised General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) considerably extended the scope of exemptions from prior notification of state aid granted to companies.
IRIS Special 2017-2: Journalism and media privilege
The report provides an overview of the most recent rules, case law and policies across Europe with regard to the privileges that are given to journalists when exercising their activities.
IRIS Plus 2017-3: Deposit systems for audiovisual works
This publication provides an overview of the regulatory framework concerning deposit systems. Today, deposit systems frequently serve national policy ends by ensuring the preservation of a country’s cultural heritage.
IRIS Themes - Vol. III - Freedom of Expression, the Media and Journalists. Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (2017 edition)
This revised edition contains summaries of over 250 judgements or decisions by the Court and provides hyperlinks to the full text of each of the summarised judgements or decisions. The summaries included in the e-book can be retrieved from our legal database, IRIS Merlin.
IRIS Plus 2017-2: Commercial communications in the AVMSD revision
This report analyses the ongoing AVMSD reform in relation to commercial communications.
IRIS Themes, vol. III Freedom of Expression, the Media and Journalists - Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (2016 edition)
This e-book can be read in various ways: for initial orientation in the steadily growing Article 10 case-law; for refreshing one’s knowledge of that case-law; for quick reference and checking, as well as for substantive research.