On 30 April, the EBU published its position on the revision of the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), urging policymakers to seize the opportunity of the likely update of the Directive to safeguard Europe’s audiovisual media sector. The position paper outlines key recommendations for addressing emerging technological and market challenges while reinforcing the Directive’s public interest objectives. 

Thomas Bergmann, Senior Policy Adviser, EBU said, “The AVMSD remains a cornerstone of Europe’s media pluralism and cultural diversity, but the challenges we face today are unprecedented. Big tech platforms, connected devices, user interfaces and more recently AI slop are gatekeeping access to trusted and highly regulated media services. If left unchecked, these players risk depriving audiences of reliable journalism, culturally relevant content, and the diversity that underpins our democracies. The AVMSD must be revised with a clear strategy to preserve media sustainability and promote content that truly matters to our societies.”

The EBU’s position paper identifies five priority areas for the AVMSD revision:

• Prominence of general interest media services – Introduce mandatory rules ensuring that trusted content remains visible and accessible across all relevant devices and platforms.

• Protect media sustainability against gatekeeping – Tackle harmful practices like unfair revenue sharing, ad replacements, and restrictive outlinking to empower media organizations to develop sustainable models.

• Reduce regulatory asymmetries – Align the rules applied to video-sharing platforms with the stricter obligations governing audiovisual media service providers, ensuring consistent protections for audiences everywhere.

• Preserve proven rules benefiting the sector – Maintain key provisions promoting access to major events, short news reporting and European works.

• Clarify the legal hierarchy – Establish the AVMSD as lex specialis to ensure sector-specific rules take precedence over horizontal frameworks such as the Digital Services Act. 

The EBU calls on policymakers to strike a vital balance between harmonizing EU rules and preserving the flexibility necessary for Member States to adapt rules to their cultural, social, and market contexts. 

Read our full position to the right.