Post-Brexit rules for the European audiovisual sector

Following the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union on 31 January 2020, negotiations for a basic agreement between the two parties resulted in the so-called EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) signed on 24 December 2020. Since 1 January 2021, the TCA has been applied provisionally (waiting for the EP and European Council's final approval). But what does this mean in practice?

The European Audiovisual Observatory has just released a report entitled Post-Brexit rules for the European audiovisual sector. The report is authored by Francisco Javier Cabrera Blázquez, Senior Legal Analyst within the Observatory's Department for Legal Information.

The report kicks off by explaining that trade relations between the UK and the EU are now governed by the so-called Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). Importantly, ¡the EU state aid rules no longer apply to the UK and the TCA chapter on subsidy control explicitly excludes subsidies related to the audiovisual sector from its scope.

The report then examines the rules for one of the key aspects of cooperation between the UK and the EU: movement of people and goods. This has been a major concern for film and television professionals from all countries, hoping that the post-Brexit rules will not raise obstacles to film shoots and the necessary ease of travelling. Significantly, EU creative workers (such as film crew members) moving to the UK for temporary work must now adhere to the tier 5 visa system and thus obtain a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed employer beforehand.

More Information here!