On March 26, 2026, the Belgian Constitutional Court delivered an important ruling on investment obligations for audiovisual media services: “The court confirmed that Member States can require streaming platforms, including those based abroad, to contribute financially to the production of European works when they target local audiences.
The court also rejected key arguments of Netflix seeking to frame these obligations as purely economic measures, confirming their primary cultural objective.”
In a statement, Anthony Muldoon, President of CEPI, said:
“This ruling matters beyond Belgium. It confirms that the AVMSD framework gives Member States a solid legal basis to ask platforms generating significant revenues from European audiences to invest meaningfully in the creative sectors they depend on. That principle, that those who benefit from a cultural market should contribute to its sustainability, is one CEPI has defended for years. Today it has been upheld by a national court that examined the EU legal framework in depth.”
Read the full statement: https://www.cepi-producers.eu/post/belgian-court-upholds-the-legal-foundation-of-investment-obligations-under-the-avms-directive