The European Audiovisual Observatory is a public service organisation, part of the Council of Europe.
The Observatory was created in 1992 to collect and distribute information about the audiovisual industries in Europe, with the aim to promote greater transparency. The work of the Observatory focuses on the following fields: Film, Broadcasting, Home video, On-demand audiovisual services and Public policy on the audiovisual sector. The Observatory provides information from an economic and legal point of view on audiovisual markets in Europe and their financing. It also analyses and reports on the legal issues affecting the different sectors of the audiovisual industry.
The Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory (IRIS) reports monthly on the most important legal developments for the audiovisual industry in 39 European countries.
The Observatory also provides access to free on-line databases, such as AVMS Database on the transposition of the AVMS directive into national legislation, IRIS Merlin on legal information on the audiovisual sector in Europe, KORDA on funding for film and audiovisual works, Lumiere on admissions of films released in Europe and MAVISE on TV services in Europe.