The Commission is closely monitoring the situation as regards a possible United States (US) 100% tariff on foreign films. There is very limited information available and no draft legal act of such a measure has been published.

For instance, it remains unclear whether such a measure would target only theatrical distributors and producers, or also extend to streamers and broadcasters, and whether it would apply solely to films or also to television series . It is therefore difficult at this stage to assess the potential impact of the announced measures on the EU.

Furthermore, the application of a tariff to a service, often a digitally provided one, rather than to a good would be an entirely new development and would raise questions as regards its implementation in practice.

The Commission remains fully engaged in discussions with the US, as a fair and mutually beneficial negotiated solution continues to be the EU’s clear and preferred outcome.

However, if talks with the US do not yield the necessary results, the EU has a variety of countermeasures at its disposal, and the Commission will carefully evaluate their potential use as the situation evolves.

The EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive[1]defines what constitutes a European audiovisual work for the purposes of the directive. By December 2026, the Commission will assess the impact of this directive on the media market and present an evaluation report with proposals for its review, if appropriate. The evaluation will include notably the rules for the promotion of European works.

Last updated: 9 July 2025