WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2019/96 by Yves VERWAERDE to the Commission. Commission Decision of 21 December 1988 - Greek Government aid to the film industry
Date: 1996-07-19
Institutions: European Parliament, VERWAERDE
Subjects: EC Decision, EU national, European Commission, Greece, State aid, aid system, film industry, national law, restriction on competition, tax system













EUR-Lex - 91996E2019 - EN






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91996E2019

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2019/96 by Yves VERWAERDE to the Commission. Commission Decision of 21 December 1988 - Greek Government aid to the film industry  


Official Journal C 365 , 04/12/1996 P. 0067 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2019/96 by Yves Verwaerde (PPE) to the Commission (19 July 1996)Subject: Commission Decision of 21 December 1988 - Greek Government aid to the film industryWith reference to Commission Decision 89/441/EEC ((OJ L 208, 20 July 1989, p. 38. )) of 21 December 1988 on aid granted by the Greek Government to the film industry:1. Can the European Commission inform me of the action taken by Greece subsequent to that decision?2. Can it inform me of the number of feature-length films produced in Greece since 1988?Answer given by Mr Van Miert on behalf of the Commission (16 September 1996)1. The Greek law n° 1597 of 12 May 1986 created an aid scheme for the Greek film industry. The Commission's negative decision on this scheme found that the requirement of the law that all the different categories of people involved in the production of a film (author, director, technicians) must have Greek nationality was discriminatory and was not necessary to give a film its cultural identity.The Commission decision described the financing and use of the aid. The financing comes from a tax on film projection in Greek cinemas. At the time of the decision the annual estimated revenue of this tax was approximately 3.6 to 3.9 MECU.The revenue from the tax is used to stimulate the production of Greek films and also to encourage the showing of Greek films in cinemas in Greece. The production subsidy is only given for Greek films. Some of the elements were found by the Commission to discriminate against nationals of other Member States. This was especially the case in regard to the following requirements:- for the categories of technicians, actors and performing musicians, three quarters must be Greek,- all the assisting labour force must be Greek and insured at the institute of social security or an other organisation of public insurance.The aid for cinema operators, which is a percentage of the levied taxes, was related to the showing of Greek films. Cinema operators therefore had an incentive to show Greek films.In July 1990 the Greek authorities notified new modifications to the law after the Commission assessed that earlier changes were insufficient. For the purposes of the production subsidy, the modifications classified nationals of any other Member States as eligible on the same basis as Greek nationals. As regards the aid for cinema operators, the law now stipulates that the operators receive tax reimbursement for all films shown.2. The Commission has no information available on the number of long films which have been produced in Greece since 1988.