Netflix and streaming services face quotas for European content

Netflix and online streaming services could be forced to make sure 20% of their content is European under new plans from Brussels.

Many streaming services may already meet the proposed quota as they carry so much British-made material such as BBC programmes.

The plan is an effort from Brussels to bring the rules up to date and adapted to the digital sphere.

TV broadcasters are already forced to invest around 20% of revenues into making or commissioning original content and to spend half their air time showing European works.

"We have a European film culture and we think European content should be in those programmes," Guenther Oettinger, the German EU commissioner for digital economy, said.

It would be up to individual countries to enforce the new rules if the directive was adopted.

Netflix has said it is against quotas or making contributions to film subsidies, instead putting a priority on developing its own content, including in Europe.

Netflix said: "Our members around the world love European programming, that's why our investment in European programming, including Netflix original titles created in Europe, is growing.

""We appreciate the Commission's objective to have European production flourish, however the proposed measures won't actually achieve that."

Earlier this month, Netflix released its first major French-language series "Marseille", starring Gerard Depardieu.