Policy Issues

ENPA is working on a number of areas of European policy and legislation which are essential for the effective day-to-day running of operations of local, regional and national newspapers.

One of our questions to policymakers is whether a new piece of legislation is needed in order to secure and enhance competitiveness of our sector. Unnecessary advertising restrictions and EU attempts to regulate media pluralism are some examples of legislation that are not in line with the objective of a competitive publishing industry in the different European countries.
 

PolicyIssues
Role in society

Role in Society

Newspapers and news media are the ultimate sources for media literate citizens. Reading news media opens a window on to other worlds and other viewpoints, also confronting us with our own pre-conceived ideas and challenging our views.

Publishers greatly value the wider role that they play in society . In the field of environmental policy, the publishing sector is focused on maximising paper recycling and resource efficiency, as well as effective use of energy and raw materials to help fight against  climate change.

Promoting Media Literate Citizenship
Newspapers and news media have a fundamental role to play in promoting the development of media literate and socially engaged citizens who have an understanding of local, national and global events. Newspaper content, both in print and digital formats, should be included in media education programmes managed by the European Union. "Digital literacy" initiatives should be linked to the promotion of "media literacy" so that citizens can better assess critically the content they access online.

Achieving Sustainability Objectives
The print media value chain is an essential contributor to a knowledge-based society and the cultural economy. Moreover, paper is sustainable; it is base on wood, a natural and renewable resource. Industry self-regulation is an effective, flexible and cost-efficient means of achieving overall sustainability objectives and targets by all stakeholders in the print value chain.

Joint Industry Letter Against Google's Self-Preferencing

Joint Industry Letter Against Google's Self-Preferencing.

ENPA's ideas for copyright in the digital single market

ENPA publication entitled "Copyright in the EU Digital Single Market: 10 Recommendations of the Newspaper and News Media sector" (May 2015), outlines the priorities of newspaper and news media publishers for the ongoing review of the EU Copyright Framework.

ENPA 10 priorities for the digital agenda

ENPA contributed to the joint publication: "Print Media in Times of Change - a key contributor to EU 2020." Launched in March 2012, this publication is a joint initiative by the Print Media Group of which ENPA is a member of (along with paper producers, publishers, direct marketing associations etc).

Print media in times of change

ENPA contributed to the joint publication: "Print Media in Times of Change - a key contributor to EU 2020." Launched in March 2012, this publication is a joint initiative by the Print Media Group of which ENPA is a member of (along with paper producers, publishers, direct marketing associations etc).

Creative media business alliance

ENPA has coordinated a new publication from the Creative Media Business Alliance (CMBA), an informal grouping of Europe’s top media and creative companies and their associations. This publication - “Create. Engage. Inspire” - which opens with a foreword by Commissioner Barnier, provides a brief look at some of the recent innovations and exciting offerings available to consumers from Europe’s creative and media industries.

Enpa's 10 actions points

Freedom of expression is at the heart of European democracy and at the core of the newspaper and news media sector. Publishers, editors and journalists defend this freedom in sometimes difficult and dangerous circumstances across Europe and around the world.

Promoting value of content

Newspapers were one of the first creative sectors to offer its content in digital formats and the business has rapidly transformed to become a leading digital content player.

Publishers of newspapers and news media have made substantial investments to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by new technology to serve their readers with professional content in both print and digital formats. In this context, effective copyright protection and enforcement are more important than ever.

Operating conditions

Policy and competition issues currently under debate in Brussels and Strasbourg will help to define the operating conditions for publishing houses all across Europe. Decisions  taken during the next five years will shape the working environment for the independent press sector for decades to come.