Animation in Europe expands to 20 countries

Animation in Europe expands to 20 countries and calls on platforms to invest more in European animation

New board elected and advocacy of an animation quota for streaming platforms

The Federation of Animation Producers in Europe, established in 2016, is proud to announce the membership of Estonia, Greece and Portugal, bringing the number of european member countries to 20 (incl. associate member UK). The federation announces the election of its new board and advocates a more prominent place for European animation in streamers‘ offerings.

It announced the news during Annecy Festival, the members of Animation in Europe elected their new  Board  of  Directors for the next two years. Its composition reflects both the federation’s geographical  diversity,  with  5  different  countries  represented,  and  its  animation  production diversity, with 3 film producers and 2 series producers.

Philippe Alessandri (Watch Next Media / France) will continue to assume the role of President and will  be  supported  by  four  vice-presidents:  Moe  Honan  (Moetion  Films  /  Ireland),  Pablo  Jordi (Pikkukala/  Finlande),  Ivan Agenjo  (Peekaboo Animation / Spain) and Dirk Beinhold (Akkord Film Produktion / Germany).

During  the  General Assembly,  Estonia,  Greece,  and  Portugal  became the  latest  additions to the federation’s  membership.  This  expansion  reflects  the  interest  that  European  producers  have  in inter-country exchange of industry information  and collective action at  community level.

For a stronger presence of European animation in platform investment.

Following  the  2018  vote  on  the  European  Audiovisual  Media  Services  Directive  (AVMS),  which notably  allows  for  foreign  media  to  be  subject to  investment  obligations, Animation  in  Europe welcomes  its  implementation  in 14 countries but calls for an increase in platform investments in European animation.

European animated films and series are performing well on the international market. In Germany, for example, a handful of family animation films, representing barely 5% of film production, generate half  of the feature film exports. In France, animated series account for nearly half of audiovisual revenues  abroad,  even  though  they  only  constitute  about  10%  of the total volume  of  national production across all genres.

This undeniable international potential contrasts sharply with the very small number of European animated  series and films commissioned by platforms, even though these platforms are investing heavily  in the  production  of  local dramas. This observation is shared by all member countries of Animation in Europe.

Buyers from American  streaming platforms focus their investments on national dramas to attract new subscribers. Children’s content, perceived as more universal, is directed by the headquarters in Los Angeles which engage American studios.

In France, the situation, while similar, is slightly more positive due to a decree emphasizing “diversity of genres” in the investment obligations of streaming platforms. Thus, Disney+, Netflix and Amazon have committed to supporting animation, but at levels that remain very low (from 0.56% to 1.28% of their annual turnover in France) compared to the place of animation in their catalogs. The majority of animation produced in France for these platforms is characterized by service provision, as seen in the case of the series Arcane.

A  similar  trend  can  be  observed  in  Ireland,  where  service  production  is  offered  for  series  on American platforms. For instance, Netflix’s adaptation of the video game Cuphead is produced by Lighthouse Studios, based in Irland.

The situation is not much better in Spain, with only two original productions for Netflix and one adult animation program, Pobre Diablo, for Max (Warner). The rest of Europe’s animation industry seems to profit even less from US streaming platforms. For example, not one single production has been commissioned by a streamer in countries such as  Germany.

“We  need  to  ofer children,  who  make  up  over 10% of the EU’s population, content created and produced in  Europe.  The  introduction  of an  animation quota would ensure fair representation of European animation on platforms, ” concludes Philippe Alessandri, President of Animation in Europe.

Animation in Europe wishes to underscore the crucial need for more comprehensive data collection by  governments  and  regulatory  authorities  across  Europe.  This  data  will  bolster  the  industry’s resilience  in this  challenging landscape, not just for survival, but to remain competitive. It is also essential to  ensure that cultural and age diversity is thoughtfully accommodated. The association urges  these  entities  to  consistently  monitor  and  share  detailed  data,  such  as  demographics, viewership data, ratings & reviews, trending genres, subscriber growth, and more.

In light of these challenges, Animation in Europe calls on the European Union and EU member states to  leverage the  planned  review  of the AVMS Directive, set for no later than the end of 2025, to defend the position of European animation and promote a European editorial offering targeted at a young audience.