AUDIOVISUAL: VIVIANE REDING ASKS NATIONAL LOBBIES TO PRESSURE GOVERNMENTS.

• Position: Brief Article

Despite the arrival of a new Commission, due on November 1, Ms Reding will stay on as a member of the Barroso team, albeit with a different portfolio - she is thus seen as guaranteeing continuity. But MEDIA 2007 still awaits endorsement from the European Parliament and Council of Ministers. As such, fearing that Finance Ministers may quibble over the budget, Ms Reding has called on national industries to put pressure on their governments. During the adoption of the last MEDIA programme, Ms Reding had to deal with doubts raised by Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

The MEDIA programme also offers aid for training in the film industry, as well as for production and distribution. The Commission would also like to ensure that new technologies, especially digital ones, are taken up by Europe. "The challenge is to have national films leave the national market and profit from the big European market", said Ms Reding. She was, however, happy to note that nine out of ten European films that obtain international release do so...