The European Magazine Media Association (EMMA), the European Newspaper Publishers’Association (ENPA), the European Publishers’ Council (EPC) and News Media Europe (NME) welcome the fact that the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Council called for the introduction of an exclusive right for press publishers in EU copyright law today.
Although the original proposal from of the European Commission offers more clarity and legal certainty, the Council mandate of today is a decisive step in the right direction. As a next step, the European Parliament must finalise its position, before the European Commission, the Council and the European Parliament can start the tripartite negotiations on the legislative proposal.
The rapporteur in the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, MEP Axel Voss, has already put forward a sensible balanced proposal for a Publisher’s Right.
We remain confident that policy makers will continue showing support for an exclusive right to underpin investment in the free and democratic European press.