On 18–19 November 2010, the European Ministers of Culture and Audiovisual in Brussels adopted the Council Conclusions on film heritage, including the challenges of the digital era. In the Conclusions, the Council

• recognizes that the intellectual property rights framework has to provide sufficient legal certainty to allow film heritage institutions to carry out their public interest missions, notably preservation, restoration and, where appropriate, provision of cultural and educational access to deposited works;
• invites Member States to adapt the existing instruments establishing  mandatory legal or contractual deposit of cinematographic works forming part of their audiovisual heritage taking into account the transition to digital production and distribution and to ensure appropriate enforcement of theses instruments;
• invites Member States to ensure that film heritage institutions may benefit from adequate rights in relation to preservation and cultural and non-commercial use films supported by national and regional funds as well as of related material;
• invites the Member States and the Commission to promote the application of European standards on the interoperability of film databases  and, if necessary, establish common standards for the submission of digital files to film heritage institutions.

Along with the Conclusions on film heritage, the European Council also adopted Conclusions on the opportunities and challenges for European cinema in the digital era.