Press releases
At a time when the European Commission has just published its Communication for anew EU Digital Agenda, newspaper publishers in Europe call for fair market and legal conditions which will enable them to develop sustainable business models in the digitalmedia environment. In particular EU decision makers should address the difficultiespublishers are facing as regards the online and digital activities of public broadcasters and the role of news aggregators and internet search engines, in order to ensure that the press can continue fulfilling its role as a cornerstone of democracy.
The European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA), on the occasion of its GeneralAssembly in Brussels on 21 May, hosted by Journaux Francophones Belges (JFB) and Vlaamse Dagbladpers (VDP), has adopted a Resolution (in annex) which focuses on the future of the newspaper industry in the information society and the knowledge economy. The ENPA Resolution addresses the EU Digital Agenda which was presented by the European Commission on 19 May 2010. The resolution calls for more respect and consideration of the challenges and future of the press sector in the multimedia environment, in the framework of the new EU Digital Agenda and the EU 2020 Strategy. ENPA President Valdo Lehari, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Reutlinger General-Anzeiger, stated: “While printed newspapers remain our core business, European and national decision makers should ensure that publishers can also develop new business models in the digital environment, including paid-for offers, which are accessible to users on all platforms. This is only possible if all market players respect the rules, including copyright protection for newspapers’ content and fair competition in the advertising market.”
The President of JFB Bruno de Cartier, Vice President of Editions de l’Avenir, stressed: “Newspaper publishers are at the forefront of the digital revolution and are responding to the challenges of the information society. However, they face unfair competition from the online activities of public broadcasters and are threatened by news aggregators who are using newspapers’ content without authorisation or compensation. This situation is unacceptable and the EU should urgently address these questions.”
The President of VDP Luc Rademakers, Managing Director of Concentra, underlined: “We call on the European Commission to address publishers’ concerns in the framework of the discussion around the EU Digital Agenda. A modern and democratic society cannot function without a vibrant and competitive press sector. Ultimately, the future of the press will be in danger if European and national decision-makers are not able to guarantee an appropriate market balance among the different players of the information society”.
ENPA has also adopted a Memorandum on the EU Digital Agenda which is available on request.
For more details, please contact:
Mrs. Caroline Quintero P., Communication Officer.
ENPA – European Newspaper Publishers’ Association: Square du bastion 1A Bte 3 1050 Brussels
caroline.quintero@enpa.be
Tel : +32 2 551 01 90
Fax: +32 2 551 01 99
The European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA) is the largest representative body of newspaper publishers across Europe. ENPA advocates for 14 national associations across 14 European countries, and is a principal interlocutor to the EU institutions and a key driver of media policy debates in the European Union.
