Media Plus

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MEDIA Plus is a European Union programme designed to support the European Union's audio-visual industry. It is currently (as of 2005) in its third generation, with 1990-1995 and 1996-2000, being the previous two.

MEDIA Plus supports the development, distribution and promotion of European audio-visual works. The programme has a budget of €513 million euros for the period 2001-2005 and a one year extension to end of 2006. The sectors concerned are: fiction (cinema and television), the production of documentaries, animation and multi-media.

This programme also devotes 50 million euros to commercial and legal training (marketing, intellectual property law), technology training (computer graphics, multi-media) as well as training in scriptwriting for productions targeted at foreign audiences.

The next generation MEDIA Plus programme (known as MEDIA 2007) will begin in 2007 and last until 2013. The programme is expected to be consolidated, i.e. training with development and distribution, and receive an expanded budget of €1.055 billion. Even though a significant increase in finances is planned, accounting for the new EU members and the consolidation, the over all average available may be smaller than the current €500+ million.