(done) 15 December 1992 

Creation of the European Audiovisual Observatory as an enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe (thanks to Resolution (92) 70, adopted by the Council’s Committee of Ministers at the Ministers' 485th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on 15 December 1992).

Initial Membership: 31 members - 30 Member States plus Commission of the European Communities.

(done) 21 December 1992 

First meeting of the Executive Council of the Observatory, our main governing body.

(working) 1 January 1993 

Membership increases to 32 members. Slovak Republic joins the Observatory.

(working) 1 July 1993 

Membership increases to 33 members. Slovenia joins the Observatory.

(done) 1 August 1993 

The first generation Observatory team takes up its duties in Strasbourg under the direction of Ismo Silvo.

(done) 22 November 1993 

First meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Observatory, which consists of European and international professional organisations representing the various branches of the audiovisual industries such as, for example, film production, distributors, exhibitors, public and private broadcasters and the press.

(working) 1 January 1994 

Membership increases to 34 members. Czech Republic joins the Observatory.

(done) 15 July 1996 

Launch of the first website of the European Audiovisual Observatory.

(done) 1997

Nils Klevjer Aas elected Executive Director of the European Audiovisual Observatory.

(done) 7-18 May 1997 

The Observatory participates in the Cannes Marché du Film for the first time.

(working) 1 September 1997 

Membership: increases to 35 members - "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (now North Macedonia) joins the Observatory.

(done) 1 September 2000

Wolfgang Closs elected Executive Director of the European Audiovisual Observatory.

(done) 23 October 2000

Creation of LUMIERE Database, which provides a systematic compilation of available data on annual admissions to films released in European cinemas since 1996.

(working) 16 November 2000

The European Union becomes a member of the European Audiovisual Observatory, represented by the European Commission.

(done) 15 November 2002

 The Observatory celebrates its 10th anniversary.

(working) 1 January 2002

Membership: increases to 36 members - Croatia joins the Observatory.

(done) 1 June 2003

Creation of MERLIN database. The legal database IRIS Merlin covers all audiovisual media, all key areas, all key players and all legal developments since 1995. It contains 9265 short descriptive articles based solely on facts with 8628 references (laws, decrees, court cases, etc.).

(working) 29 April 2005

Membership: increases to 37 members - Albania joins the Observatory.

(done) 1 February 2007

Creation of MAVISE database on audiovisual media services, video sharing platforms and their jurisdiction in Europe.

(working) 1 January 2011

Membership: increases to 38 members – Bosnia and Herzegovina joins the Observatory.

(working) 17 February 2012

Membership: increases to 39 members – Montenegro joins the Observatory.

(working) 30 July 2012

Membership: increases to 40 members - Armenia join the Observatory.

(done) 1 July 2013

Susanne Nikoltchev elected Executive Director of the European Audiovisual Observatory.

(working) 13 May 2014

Membership: increases to 41 members - Morocco joins the Observatory.

(done) 29 October 2015

Creation of the AVMSD database. The AVMSDatabase allows interactive searches across the national transpositions of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive 2010/13/EU (AVMSD), as amended by the 2018/1808 Directive, in the 27 EU member states. 

(done) November 2015

Creation of the Yearbook online service - a unique source of data on television, film, video, on-demand audiovisual services in 40 European countries and Morocco.

(working) 17 February 2016

Membership: increases to 42 members - Georgia joins the Observatory.

(done) 3 November 2017

European Audiovisual Observatory celebrates its 25th anniversary in the Chateau de Portales.

(done) 7 November 2018

Creation of the LUMIERE VOD database - a database of European works (film and TV seasons) available on pay-video and free video on-demand services (transactional, subscription and free VOD). It provides a list of films and TV content available at a given moment from a sample of on-demand services active in the European Union and Europe.

(done) 3 November 2022

European Audiovisual Observatory celebrates its 30th anniversary.