Press releases
SIZE REALLY DOES MATTER: MEMBER STATES AGREE MANDATE FOR COPYRIGHT TRILOGUE BUT NOT ALL PRESS CONTENT IS PROTECTED
Europe’s press publishers, represented by EMMA (European Magazine Media Association), ENPA (European Newspaper Publishers’ Association), EPC (European Publishers Council) and NME (News Media Europe) welcome Member States’ decision to move forward with the Copyright directive.
The adoption of a new mandate by COREPER was necessary for final negotiations between Member States and the European Parliament to occur.
While the text agreed upon today is a step in the right direction as it improves the wording of the previous mandate, it would still lead to substantial legal uncertainty for press publishers as it does not protect with sufficient clarity the use of press content by news aggregators and search engines, which is the whole purpose of a right.
Ultimately, the European Parliament’s approach on Article 11 (the press publisher´s right) – to which many Member States showed support or flexibility in COREPER – proposes a balanced and enforceable solution to protect press publishers against the free-riding on press content by online services in the digital environment.
The Trilogue, which is expected to take place on 12 February, represents a unique opportunity to set the right balance for the online ecosystem to adapt the current copyright regime to the ongoing technological revolution.
A spokesman for the press publishers said: “The clear legal provision in EU legislation that a workable neighbouring right will grant us will be a huge boost to professional journalism and an independent European press sector.”
The press publishers continued: “If, as we now hope, a legally clear and workable neighbouring right is agreed in Trilogue, this copyright directive will help instil fairness in the digital ecosystem for the benefit of consumers and professional journalism alike.”
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.
