Policy Issues

Digital technology and increasingly connected and informed consumers have led to significant transformations in the European film and cinema industry over the past decade. Cinemas have always embraced new opportunities and made significant investments to ensure that cinema exhibition remains the ’gold standard’ environment for films – seen, as the director intended, on the big screen in front of an audience enjoying the experience together.

In Europe, cinema exhibition is shaped by regional, national as well as by European laws and policies. A wide array of policy initiatives that touch on issues such as standardisation in relation to digital projection, copyright enforcement, rights management, public support for cinemas as well as digital distribution can have impacts on European cinemas. UNIC represents its members vis-à-vis European institutions and international bodies in this regard. We also work with our members at national level, when invited to do so. A selection of our positions in relation to core issues can be downloaded on the right.

Policy issues

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Smart release strategies
Why we believe that theatrical exhibition is the gold standard when it comes to film exploitation and how an exclusive release window benefits the entire film industry. pdf
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Digital cinema roll-out
Digital cinema and 3D are changing theatrical exhibition. UNIC outlines some conditions to ensure that cinemas can continue to create jobs and show diverse and attractive content in the future. pdf
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Collecting Societies
Our position on fair remuneration for artists and the relationship between cinemas and collective rights management societies. pdf
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Film theft
Film theft – whether online or offline – is seriously harming creative content industries. It destroys jobs and prevents investments into creation. This is what UNIC members do to limit the damage. pdf