NEWS

On April 1, the rules that will allow Europeans to take their online holiday subscriptions take effect.

They can access movies, series, sporting events, music and videogames from anywhere in the EU, provided that their stay in another member country is temporary.

Until now, if you had tried to use your online subscription to watch movies or listen to music when you were in another EU country, you would most likely have received an indication that the content you were trying to access was not available in the country in which it is located.

This is about to change, thanks to the new European rules on the so-called "portability", which enter into force on April 1, 2018. The objective is to end the geographical blockade and make it possible for Europeans to take audiovisual services online for those who pay for vacations within the community territory.

All EU countries must apply these rules, to which Parliament endorsed on May 18, 2017.

According to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), almost 11% of European households had a subscription to an on-demand video service in 2016. A rate that will double by 2020, according to estimates.

Netflix takes most of 54% of the European Union subscription market, according to the EBU, but cross-border portability applies not only to television series and movies, but also to all types of digital products such as e-books and songs.

What will change?

The new regulation will allow all subscribers to online audiovisual services in one country to enjoy this content also when they are temporarily in another Member State. This access will only be possible when your stay in another part of the EU is for a limited period, such as vacations or business or study trips.

"If you live for example in Germany but go on vacation, visit your family or work in Spain, you can access the services you had in Germany," explains French liberal Democrat Jean-Marie Cavada, head of Parliament in negotiating the New rules

Content providers will have the ability to verify the location of subscribers. The European Parliament requested that safeguard measures be included in the regulation to ensure that user data and privacy are respected throughout the verification process.

The regulation will have retroactive effect, which means that it will also apply to existing subscription contracts.

The new rules will also discourage piracy and promote access to legally acquired content.

Roaming and geographic blocking

This measure adds to the end of the cost overruns for the use of mobile phones abroad (roaming), which became a reality as of June 15, 2017. MEPs also work on new rules to end the geographical blockade.