Morocco joins the European Audiovisual Observatory

Europe/London By Robert Briel
Morocco has just become the 41st member of the European Audiovisual Observatory.
The decision was made by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers which met in Strasbourg on December 13. The Strasbourg-based Observatory, which is part of the Council of Europe, provides facts, figures, economic and legal analysis of the audiovisual industries in Europe (cinema, television, video, on-demand services and internet).
Morocco will be represented within the Observatory’s Executive Council by Jamal Eddine Naji, general director of audiovisual communication of the Moroccan High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA).
Naji stated that the membership of Morocco within the Observatory would open up more information about the Moroccan media industries. Film and television professionals wishing to know more about working with Morocco would have access to key data and legal background information. He also added that Moroccan professionals, in turn, would have better access to information about the audiovisual industries in Europe thanks to this new development.
Susanne Nikoltchev, the Observatory’s executive director, welcomed this decision and indicated that the Observatory has already taken part in data collection on Morocco. The Observatory worked together with the EU’s Euromed Audiovisual III Programme to produce a series of very useful reports on the Mediterranean area, one of which covered Morocco.
Nikoltchev stated that Morocco’s joining the Observatory was part of general and very welcome trend of Europe’s institutions working more closely with and creating ties with the Mediterranean region. She concluded that the audiovisual sectors in both areas could only benefit from this new development.