The law falls into a longstanding tradition of EU lawmakers protecting European film and drama against the encroachments of Hollywood and US TV and online shows.
Netflix, Amazon and other online streaming services will have to dedicate 30% of their output to TV shows and films made in Europe, which they must subsidise, under the terms of a new EU law agreed in Brussels on Thursday.
Under the law, platforms need to create a “transparent, easy-to-use and effective mechanism” to allow users to report hateful content.
The European parliament says the law means companies such as Netflix will face the same rules as traditional TV channels, not only on European content but also limits on advertising and product placement.