The fourth edition of Animar, the annual think tank of the European animation industry curated by Animation in Europe at the initiative of PROA and supported by ICEC, ICEX and ICAA, followed by Anima Mundi’s academic panels, took place in Barcelona. The event brought together policymakers, regulators and industry representatives for two days of strategic discussion on the future of European animation.
The sessions were opened by European Parliament culture and education (CULT) committee coordinator and vice chair Diana Riba, who underlined the importance of establishing a strong and forward-looking framework for European animation. “Animation acts as an educational medium in which viewers, often young, immerse themselves in languages, perspectives and diverse narratives that contribute to building a shared European identity,” she said.
Over the course of the think tank, 52 experts from 15 European countries took part in the discussions. The participants represented a wide range of institutions and perspectives, including the European Commission (DG Connect), national governments and regulators, film funds, public broadcasters, animation producers and producers’ associations.
Experts were split into two working groups. The first, examined how regulation can support the European animation industry in the context of the evaluation of the AVMS directive, while the second, focused on fostering European co-productions.
Inspired by the reflection of the regulation working group, Animation in Europe has proposed to revise the AVMS directive :
- To include video sharing platforms, such as YouTube, in the definition of Audiovisual Media Services, and to broaden the editorial responsibility to algorithmic curation.
- To raise European quotas applying to streamers to 50 per cent to align with the one of linear broadcasters and have 10 per cent dedicated to independent producers.
- To ensure the prominence of European works on streamers and of European media services on connected TV and internet providers.
- To request transparency on audience data and algorithms to all audiovisual media services.
Following the think tank, Animation in Europe organised two producer-focused panels as part of the Anima Mundi academic research programme, providing further insight into the development of Europe’s animation ecosystem.
Reflecting on the event, Animation in Europe vice chairman and Peekaboo CEO Ivan Agenjo stated, “Bringing together institutions, regulators and producers allowed us to address complex policy challenges with clarity and ambition, and to reaffirm a shared commitment to strengthening the competitiveness and diversity of our sector.”
Animation in Europe chairman and Watch Next Media CEO and founder Philippe Alessandri added, “European animation is built on collaboration, and Animar showed once again how powerful that collaboration can be. The insights shared here will guide us as we advocate for fairer regulation, stronger co-production frameworks and better support mechanisms for creators across Europe.”
Following the discussions of the co-production working group about the new AgoraEU Program, Animation in Europe has recommended:
- Keeping independent production in the heart of the program.
- Earmarking for audiovisual production to ensure its financial visibility.
- Maintaining existing schemes to build on the Media Program’s confirmed successes.
- Securing specific support for kids’ content considering the sector’s challenges.
Both working groups underlined the necessity to invest more in the production of European content for children to preserve the European identity and build the next generation of European citizens. These findings form the foundation of Animation in Europe’s policy orientations for 2026.
