Keeping the AVMSD fit for purpose: DIGITALEUROPE’s Recommendations for the 2026 AVMSD Review

The European Commission’s evaluation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) comes at a decisive moment for European audiovisual and digital policy, shaped by market convergence and an increasingly dense digital regulatory framework. Since the last AVMSD revision in 2018, consumption has evolved to include a mix of linear and on-demand and online services, with audiovisual content accessed through a growing variety of services. In parallel, the EU has adopted a new generation of horizontal legislation such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as well as sector-specific regulation such as the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) to address cross-cutting challenges through technology-neutral rules rather than expanded sector-specific regulation.

Whilst the AVMSD remains important for cultural objectives and media pluralism, its effectiveness increasingly depends on legal clarity and coherence with the wider EU digital rulebook and changed ecosystem. Divergent national implementation, particularly on the scope of prominence, risks fragmenting the internal market and undermining the country-of-origin principle. Notwithstanding these implementation issues, the AVMSD has largely proven fit for purpose, particularly in light of the significant horizontal frameworks adopted since its last revision.  

For this reason, DIGITALEUROPE’s priority remains the effective and consistent implementation of the AVMSD with additional clarity through targeted guidance where needed. In the context of any future discussions on the framework, attention should focus on preserving the Directive’s fundamental objectives and core logics, ensuring alignment with newer horizontal frameworks, and, where relevant, considering targeted clarifications in line with the existing framework.  

Our recommendations are to: 

• Preserve the country-of-origin principle and the current scope and structure of the AVMSD to ensure legal certainty and avoid unintended scope expansion; 

• Strike a workable balance between national cultural objectives and internal market coherence in prominence and other cross-border provisions; 

• Build on existing EU and industry frameworks for audiovisual commercial communications and the protection of minors; and 

• Ensure alignment with the wider EU digital rulebook and horizontal frameworks, to support a coherent and future-proof regulatory environment.