EU sets 2026 review for Audiovisual Directive and Chips Act

Broadcasters and streaming platforms face a pivotal year as the EU re-evaluates the AVMSD, specifically addressing how algorithm-driven curation and smart TV interfaces impact the visibility of European content. Concurrently, the Chips Act 2.0 shift toward demand-driven semiconductor policy could reshape the hardware stack for streaming devices and data centers. These dialogues signal a transition from emergency regulation to a long-term strategy for tech sovereignty. Executives should prepare for potential adjustments to regional content quotas and prominence requirements that have historically disadvantaged non-EU platforms. Monitoring the evaluation report due by December 2026 will be the critical indicator for upcoming legislative proposals.

The 2026 review comes as the European Commission increasingly focuses on 'technological sovereignty,' a shift reinforced by the introduced Technological Sovereignty Package in June 2026. Per Investing.com (June 2026), this package includes the Chips Act 2.0 and the Cloud and AI Development Act, aimed at reducing reliance on U.S. and Chinese technology. Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen has emphasized that Europe must control the hardware and software stacks underpinning its digital services to avoid 'kill switch' vulnerabilities, according to reports from The Next Web (June 2026). This move follows the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act in August 2025, which established new safeguards for journalistic content and transparency in audience measurement.

In the media sector, the 'Beyond Mainstream' alliance of specialized streaming services urged the Commission in March 2026 to apply AVMSD rules more proportionately to niche providers, per Advanced Television (March 2026). Simultaneously, a coalition of large broadcasters, including Disney, Paramount+, and Sky, petitioned EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera to designate smart TV operating systems like Android TV and Amazon Fire OS as 'gatekeepers' under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). According to Reuters (March 2026), these broadcasters argue that OS providers now exert excessive control over audience access through home screen prominence and integrated virtual assistants.

Regulatory pressure is also mounting regarding content quotas. While the current AVMSD mandates a 30% European works quota for on-demand services, the Society of Audiovisual Authors suggested raising this minimum toward the 50% level required of traditional broadcasters during the May 2026 consultation, per SAA (May 2026). These overlapping regulatory efforts indicate that the upcoming dialogues will not merely simplify rules but potentially broaden the scope of oversight to cover AI-generated content and connected TV interfaces.