The European Commission is launching LUMIERE VOD, a new platform managed by the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO), which is intended to be a browser that consolidates information on the European films that are currently available on various online video-on-demand (VoD) services across the European Union.

The service was launched at the Council of Europe by Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, with Thorbjorn Jagland, the Council’s General Secretary. Also, Silvia Costa, MEP and rapporteur for Creative Europe, and Romanian-born French filmmaker and president of the ARP Radu Mihăileanu were present at the event.

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Acting primarily as a directory, LUMIERE VOD will be accessible by everyone and will offer useful information by linking and rounding up the European content available on 250 different VoD platforms that are active in the 28 EU member states. Practically speaking, the user can find out where a film has been released on VoD in different national markets and also discover whether it’s available in his or her country. With this tool, the European Commission and the EAO hope to increase transparency around the VoD markets operating in Europe.

Even though only 29% of films that are streamed online are European, it has been calculated that over 35,000 titles are offered 150,000 times via various providers. Also, in accordance with the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), which was published last October in order to manage the European Digital Single Market, all VoD services operating within the EU should include a minimum 30% share of European productions in their catalogues. LUMIERE VOD may also be developed further to observe whether these requirements are being met in the future.

Mariya Gabriel stated: “Europe has been – and still is – a huge player when it comes to film production. It is up to us to ensure that European works reach the audience that they deserve. LUMIERE VOD is an initiative taken in the context of our #Digital4Culture strategy.”

Susanne Nikoltchev, executive director of the European Audiovisual Observatory, opined: “The creation of LUMIERE VOD is a logical development of the Observatory’s research and valuable expertise on the VoD markets in Europe.”

LUMIERE VOD is supported by Amazon Prime Video, Ampere Analysis, Apple, the CNC, EuroVOD, FilmDoo, Filmin, Filmtoro, JustWatch, Kino Fondas, La Cinetek, La Pantalla Digital, Le Kino.ch, Mediathèque Numérique, Netflix, realeyz, uncut, UniversCiné, VOD Club, VOD.lu and Vodeville.