How the EU’s 30% European-Works Quota for Streamers Works

Article 13 of the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) is the rule behind the 30% European-works quota for streaming catalogues. It sits in the directive’s chapter on-demand services.

The quota is only one of its parts. The article also covers the prominence of European works, whether countries may require streamers to contribute financially to European works, and which small providers are exempt. Member states apply these rules nationally, and some have introduced investment obligations, so the rules a platform faces can differ by country.

What Article 13 Requires of On-Demand Providers

Under Article 13(1), providers of on-demand audiovisual media services that fall under a member state’s jurisdiction must secure at least a 30% share of European works in their catalogues. They must also ensure those works are prominent.

The text sets a floor, not a ceiling. The obligation is addressed to member states, which must make sure providers under their jurisdiction comply.

The quota is measured on the catalogue: Article 13(1) refers to a share of European works ‘in their catalogues’.

The directive was amended by Directive (EU) 2018/1808, which strengthened the promotion rules for European works. According to Agence Europe, the Commission’s guidelines were published to accompany implementation of the new rules by 19 September 2020.

Counting the Quota
The Commission’s guidelines recommend counting the 30% share by titles rather than broadcasting time, with a title being a film or one season of a series. The guidance is non-binding.

How the 30% Share Is Counted

Article 13(7) required the Commission to issue guidelines on calculating the 30% share, after consulting the Contact Committee. The guidelines also cover how to define low audience and low turnover.

The Commission’s guidance recommends measuring the share by titles rather than by broadcasting time. A title can be a film or one season of a series, according to Agence Europe’s account of the guidelines.

The guidance is non-binding. It was meant to support implementation of the rules by 19 September 2020.

Counting by title means a short film and a long series season each count once toward the catalogue total.

Prominence and Investment Duties

The directive requires prominence of European works. The Commission’s 2026 review also aims to secure the prominence of media services of general interest.

Investment is a separate matter. Article 13(2) says that where a member state requires providers under its jurisdiction to contribute financially to the production of European works, it may impose the same kind of requirement on providers that target its audiences from another member state.

The contribution must be proportionate and non-discriminatory. The article does not require member states to create such an obligation. It allows them to.

The Commission’s report on the promotion of European works, published on 28 June 2024, says some member states have introduced financial investment obligations.

Which Platforms Are Covered, and Which Are Exempt

The article applies to on-demand providers under a member state’s jurisdiction.

The foreign-targeting clause adds a second layer. A service established in one member state can face a contribution requirement in another if it targets that country’s audience.

Article 13(6) exempts providers with low turnover or a low audience from both the quota and the investment duties. Member states may also waive the obligations where they would be impracticable or unjustified given the nature or theme of the service.

According to Agence Europe, the Commission’s guidelines explain how to define low-turnover and low-audience providers, which are excluded from the directive’s scope.

The Commission’s 2024 report covers both on-demand and linear broadcasting services for 2020 and 2021. It says video-on-demand players have continued to grow their revenues and their overall number has increased in the EU, while broadcasting revenues and the total number of TV channels are stagnating.

The directive sets no euro figure and no single percentage for investment.

What the Rules Cost and How Contributions Are Limited

The directive sets no euro figure and no single percentage for investment. Under Article 13(2), investment may take the form of direct investment in content or contributions to national funds.

Article 13(3) limits the foreign-targeting contributions in three ways. They must be based only on revenue earned in the member states being targeted. If the home state imposes such a contribution, it must take account of any contributions that targeted states impose. All contributions must comply with EU law, including State aid rules.

Under that limit, a foreign-targeting contribution is based only on the revenue a platform earns in the targeted country.

The directive sets a 30% catalogue floor for providers under a member state’s jurisdiction, while investment contributions are optional for member states. A service available across the bloc may therefore face different requirements in different markets.

Reporting, Compliance and the 2026 Review

Under Article 13(4), member states had to report to the Commission on the quota and contribution rules by 19 December 2021, and must do so every two years after that. The Commission then reports to Parliament and the Council, drawing on those national reports and an independent study.

The Commission’s 2024 report covers 2020 and 2021. It says not all member states had fully transposed Directive (EU) 2018/1808 by the end of that period. Based on national reports, it says quotas are in general being implemented well and above the thresholds.

A review of the AVMSD is planned in the Commission’s work programme for 2026. A public consultation launched on 10 February 2026 was open until 1 May 2026 and available in all EU official languages.

The consultation has four pillars: scope and enforcement, audiovisual commercial communications, protection of viewers, and media diversity in the internal market. The Commission lists a more level playing field between traditional and digital players among its aims, along with simpler rules and better coherence with the Digital Services Act.