European Audiovisual Observatory

The European Audiovisual Observatory (French: Observatoire européen de l’audiovisuel, German: Europäische Audiovisuelle Informationsstelle) is a public service organisation, part of the Council of Europe set up in 1992 as a partial agreement.^[2]

European Audiovisual Observatory
Logo
Official languages	English, French, German
Membership	42 members (41 countries plus the European Union represented by the European Commission)[1]
Leaders
• Executive Director	Pauline Durand-Vialle
Website obs.coe.int

The Observatory collects, analyses and produces data about the audiovisual industries in Europe, such as cinema, television, audiovisual media services (such as streaming services and video sharing platforms) and public policies related to these sectors. ^[3] The budget of the Observatory is mainly financed by direct contributions from its member states and the European Union represented by the European Commission. Part of its budget is covered by the sale of certain products and services.

The Observatory's headquarters are located in the Villa Schutzenberger in Strasbourg.^[3]

Scope

The Observatory collects, processes and disseminates information on the audiovisual sector in its member states and on the activities of international organisations. It also monitors developments in other parts of the world from time to time.

The information provided by the European Audiovisual Observatory is intended for professionals in the audiovisual sector: producers, distributors, exhibitors, broadcasters and other audiovisual service providers, international organisations in the sector, decision-makers in public bodies responsible for the media, national and European legislators, journalists, researchers, lawyers, investors and consultants, and the academic world.

This information is available in the form of publications, statistical data, financial market analysis and in-depth studies on legal developments. It is made available in the form of various publications and services, many of which are available free of charge: reports, online information, databases, presentations made at conferences or workshops.

The European Audiovisual Observatory has established and manages a European information network from which it collects its information. This network is made up of partner organisations and institutions, companies specialising in the provision of professional information and specialist correspondents.

The official languages of the Observatory are French, English and German.

Structure

The Executive Director of the Observatory leads a multicultural team from different European countries. The Observatory is divided into two Departments which collect, process and publish all Observatory data which is made available in the form of reports and online services:

- Department for Market Information

- Department for Legal Information

The Observatory also hosts the secretariat of the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA ^[4]), which facilitates information exchange between the two organisations.

Executive Council

The Observatory's 41 member states plus the European Commission are represented within its Executive Council. This governing body meets twice a year in order to greenlight the Observatory's yearly action plan and corresponding budget. The various national representatives within this body generally come from ministries or national institutions working in the fields of cultural or audiovisual policy.

Member states

The Observatory's 41 member states plus the European Union represented by the European Commission are as follows (ordered according to ISO code): Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, European Union, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Morocco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovak Republic, Türkiye, Ukraine.