National Media Briefing: Belgium and the Netherlands
On 28 March 2017, the partners in the FAIR INTERNET Campaign with the support of AEPO-ARTIS members Playright and NORMA held a Press Briefing at the Silken Berlaymont Hotel in Brussels, targeting the Belgian and Dutch media.
Entitled “Copyright: Will the reform of the copyright directive ensure fair treatment of Dutch and Belgian performers in the online world?” the briefing focussed on the FAIR INTERNET Campaign and the draft Copyright Directive. It provided an opportunity to explain the relevant issues as they apply at the national level to the media and representatives of the European Parliament in attendance.
Belgian and Dutch performers attending the event included Caroline De Bruijn, Carel Kraaijenhof, Klaas Delrue, Tom Kestens, Peter Bulckaen and Ivan Pecnik. Also participating were Luc Gulinck from the Belgian performers’ collective management organisation PlayRight and Wisso Wissing from the Dutch performers’ collective management organisation NORMA.
On 17 January, the European Parliament plenary adopted the report of MEP Ibán García del Blanco on “Cultural diversity and the conditions for authors in the European music streaming market”.
With start of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, AEPO-ARTIS has addressed an open letter to the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo with the aim of emphasizing the importance of culture and promoting the improvement of performers' rights, in accordance with the priorities during this presidency involving cultural and creative sectors.