AEPO-ARTIS co-signs the Film/AV sector DSA Trilogue Statement

Film/AV sector regrets that the European Parliament missed the opportunity to make the Internet a safer space for everyone.

The undersigned organisations representing the creative and business communities of the film and audiovisual sector in Europe regret that the European Parliament plenary vote on

the Digital Services Act failed to achieve the stated goal of making internet intermediaries more accountable and creating a safer, better-functioning online environment for everyone. Although the European Parliament intended to broaden the KYBC provision to apply to all online intermediaries, the due diligence obligations remain too weak and narrow. Critical elements, such as the immediate removal of illegal content and an enforceable trusted flagger mechanism should be improved in the upcoming trilogue negotiations.

We encourage the EU co-legislators to show ambition and to ensure that the final DSA does not represent a step backwards neither in terms of the fight against illegal content online, nor by granting additional, unwarranted liability exemptions to online intermediaries.

The EU institutions should now deliver on the political ambition of ensuring that what is illegal offline is illegal online.

Signatories

ACT – Association of Commercial Television and VoD Services in Europe
AEPO-ARTIS – European Association of Performers Organisations
ANICA – Associazione Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche Audiovisive e Digitali Animation Europe – Federation of Animation Producers Associations
CICAE – International Confederation of Art Cinemas
CEPI – European Audiovisual Production Association
CEPIC – Center of the Picture Industry
Eurocinema – Association de producteurs de cinéma et de télévision
Europa Distribution – European Network of Independent Film Publishers and Distributors Fedicine – Federación de Distribuidores Cinematográficos
FERA – Federation of European Screen Directors
FIA – International Federation of Actors
FIAD – International Federation of Film Distributors’ and Publishers’ Associations
FIAPF – International Federation of Film Producers Associations
FIM – International Federation of Musicians
FSE – Federation of Screenwriters in Europe
GESAC – The European Authors’ Societies
IFTA – Independent Film & Television Alliance
IVF – International Video Federation
Mediapro
MPA – Motion Picture Association
SAA – Society of Audiovisual Authors
SPIO – Spitzenorganisation der Filmwirtschaft e.V.
SROC – Sports Rights Owners Coalition
UNIC – International Union of Cinemas
UNI MEI – Global Union – Media, Entertainment & Arts
Vaunet – Verband Privater Medien e.V.

With the upcoming plenary vote, the European Parliament can still turn the DSA into an opportunity for the EU to play a global role in making the internet a safer space for everyone.

Ahead of this week’s (Thursday 20th Jan) plenary vote in the European Parliament on the Digital Services Act, organisations from a range of diverse sectors call on the European Parliament not to miss the opportunity to create a more trustworthy Internet:

In proposing the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU’s intention was to make online platforms and other internet intermediaries more accountable and to create a safer, better-functioning online environment. The text before the European Parliament plenary this week would not achieve this goal, unless improved with the voting of provisions proposed by a number of MEPs. In fact, without these proposed improvements it might even be a major step backwards.

Online platforms, hosting providers and other intermediaries should be subject to effective obligations to ensure they do not distribute or facilitate the distribution of illegal content.

Some provisions in the Parliament’s IMCO text would roll-back already existing obligations, instead of strengthening them. Many of the advances made at European level in the last decade – which were already insufficient to properly protect European businesses and citizens – would be undone and the resulting legislation would sadly be out of date upon approval.

With the DSA, the EU institutions have the opportunity to show global leadership in shaping the online environment for the safety and benefit of all. We therefore call on MEPs to not bow to pressure from big tech to weaken the DSA and to instead seize the opportunity provided by the plenary vote to improve the text and take the lead on making online platforms more accountable and the internet safer for European citizens in the forthcoming trialogue negotiations.

ACT is the association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe. The ACT member companies finance, produce, promote and distribute content and services benefiting millions of Europeans across all platforms. At ACT we believe that the healthy and sustainable commercial broadcasting sector has an important role to play in the European economy, society and culture.

AEPO-ARTIS is a non-profit making organisation that represents 37 European performers’ collective management organisations from 27 different countries. The number of performers, from the audio and audiovisual sector represented can be estimated at 650,000. AEPO-ARTIS’s mission is to protect, strengthen and develop performers’ rights and to advance their collective management. AEPO-ARTIS aspires to ensure all performers benefit from the exploitation of all their performances and thus contribute to creativity and cultural diversity.

AER, the Association of European Radios is the Europe-wide trade body for commercial radio, representing the interests of companies operating over 5,000 commercial radio stations to the EU Institutions. Its mission is to promote the development of commercially funded radio broadcasting in Europe, by advocating for a fair and sustainable economic regulatory framework for radio, which will, in turn, allow commercial radio to continue to deliver significant public value and, beyond that, support media plurality, improve social cohesion and promote European culture.

AAPA represents around 30 companies involved in the provision of protected audiovisual services, including rights owners and broadcasters, security technology for such services, and the manufacturing of products which facilitate the delivery of such services. AAPA’s core mission is to lead the fight against audiovisual piracy globally, by working with policymakers, supporting law enforcement authorities and building partnerships to better tackle piracy.

ANIMATION in EUROPE federates 17 Animation Producers Associations from 15 countries of the European Union to stand for the development of the animation industry in Europe and defend the interests of independent producers and distributors of series and films.

CEPI, the European Audiovisual production Association, is the voice of independent production in Europe since 1990. Today CEPI represents 19 national film and audiovisual Production associations from 17 European countries, as well as other organisations such as the Pan-European Association of Animation. CEPI role is to represent the interests of independent producers and foster a strong, independent film and television production sector.

CEPIC, the Center of the Picture Industry, federates 600 picture agencies and photo libraries in 20 countries across Europe, both within and outside the European Union. CEPIC’s membership includes large and smaller stock photo libraries, major photo news agencies, art galleries and museums, video companies.

ECSA, the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance, represents 57 member organisations and over 30,000 professional composers and songwriters in 27 European countries. ECSA’s core mission is to defend and promote the rights and interests of composers and songwriters with the aim of improving their social and economic conditions, as well as enhancing their artistic freedom.

EIBF is an umbrella organisation representing national booksellers’ associations in the EU and beyond. Through its members, it speaks on behalf of more than 25,000 booksellers of all kinds, including brick and mortar retailers, chains and independent shops.

EUROCINEMA represents the interests of film and television producers to the European Union bodies concerning all the issues directly or indirectly affecting film production.

FEP, the Federation of European Publishers, represents 29 national books and learned journals publishers’ associations of the European Union and the European Economic Area.

FIA, the International Federation of Actors represents performers’ trade unions, guilds and professional associations in about 60 countries. In a connected world of content and entertainment, it stands for fair social, economic and moral rights for audiovisual performers working in all recorded media and live theatre.

FIAD, the International Federation of Film Distributors’ and Publishers’ Associations, represents national associations of film distribution companies. FIAD’s members operate in 14 countries where they cover 90 to 100% of the theatrical market.

FIAPF is the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations. Its members are 36 film and TV producer organizations from 29 countries, including 15 in the EU/EEA. Their activities include the development and production of films and audiovisual content which are distributed offline and online via all forms of authorised and legal online distribution channels.

FIM, the International Federation of Musicians, founded in 1948, is the only organisation representing musicians’ unions globally, with members in 65 countries covering all regions of the world. FIM is recognised as an NGO by diverse international authorities such as WIPO, the ILO, UNESCO, the European Commission, the European Parliament or the Council of Europe.

FSE, the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe, is a network of national and regional associations, guilds and unions of writers for the screen in Europe, created in June 2001. It comprises 27 members from 22 countries, representing more than 7,500 screenwriters in Europe.

GESAC, the European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers, comprises 32 authors’ societies from across the European Union, Norway, and Switzerland. As such, it represents over one million creators and rights holders in the areas of musical, audio-visual, visual, and literary and dramatic works.

IAO, the International Artist Organisation, is the umbrella association for 10 National coalitions advocating for the rights and interests of the Featured Artists in the music industry. It was established to represent featured artists and lobby both for fair and balanced rights, and also for a fair share of all value stemming from the artists’ works.

ICMP is the world trade association for music publishers and companies. It represents more than 90% of the world’s published music. Its membership comprises 61 national associations, including each of the 27 EU Member States.

IFPI, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, is the organisation that promotes the interests of the international recording industry worldwide. IFPI’s mission is to promote the value of recorded music, safeguard the rights of record producers and expand the commercial uses of recorded music in all markets where its members operate.

IFTA is the global trade association for independent film and television production, finance, distribution, and sales companies. The organization represents the independent sector before governments and international bodies and provides significant entertainment industry services to more than 135 member companies from 23 countries.

IMPALA is the European association of independent music companies, representing over 5,000 music SMEs. Its mission is to grow the independent music sector sustainably, return more value to artists, promote diversity and entrepreneurship, improve political access, inspire change and increase access to finance.

IMPF is the global network for independent music publishers. It represents the interests of indie music publishers internationally, shares experiences and best practices, exchanges information on the copyright and legal framework in different territories and jurisdictions, and helps stimulate a more favourable environment for artistic, cultural and commercial diversity for songwriters, composers and publishers everywhere.

IVF, the International Video Federation. Its members are associations representing businesses active in all segments of the film and audiovisual sector in Europe. Their activities include the development, production, and distribution of films and audiovisual content as well as their publication on digital physical carriers and via all forms of authorised and legal online distribution channels (TVOD, SVOD, AVOD).

MPA, the Motion Picture Association, is the leading advocate of the film, television, and streaming industry around the world.

SAA, the Society of Audiovisual Authors, is the umbrella association of European collective management organisations representing audiovisual authors. Its 33 members in 25 countries manage rights for over 160,000 film, television and multimedia European screenwriters and directors.

SROC, the Sports Rights Owners Coalition, is a forum of over 50 international and national sports bodies and competition organisers, with a particular focus on rights issues.

STM is the leading global trade association for academic and professional publishers. The membership is composed of over 140 organisations who are based globally and include academic and professional publishers, learned societies, university presses, start-ups and established players.

UNIC, the International Union of Cinemas, is an international trade association representing cinema operators and their national associations across 38 European territories.

On 26 October, AEPO-ARTIS co-signed a letter with 24 other rightholder organisations (including FIA, FIM, IAO…) addressed to key interlocutors at the European Commission and European Parliament regarding ongoing discussions on the Digital Services Act within the European Parliament and in the Council. The text is as follows and the letter is available here: DSA: A MISSED OPPORTUNITY AND A STEP BACKWARDS

Dear MEP Christel Schaldemose,
Dear Ambassador Tamara Weingerl-Požar,
Dear Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager,
Dear Commissioner Thierry Breton,

DSA: A MISSED OPPORTUNITY AND A STEP BACKWARDS

We are writing on behalf of a broad coalition of organizations, representing the creative sector in Europe. We represent musical, audio-visual, literary, visual authors; performers; book, musical, scientific, technical and medical publishers; recorded music, film and TV producers; sports rights owners; distributors and photo agencies.

We are very concerned about the direction that discussions on the Digital Services Act (DSA) are taking in both the European Parliament and in the Council.

Rather than meeting the DSA’s original objective of establishing an accountability framework for online platforms and creating a safer and more trustworthy online environment, some of the changes currently proposed by both institutions would have the very opposite effect. If the proposals, as they stand now, are approved the DSA would be a missed opportunity and a step backwards. It would weaken the current liability regime and have a detrimental impact on the existing standards and good practices for addressing illegal content and activities, including online infringements of copyright and related rights.

Among other points of concern to our sector, there are three specific issues that we would like to draw your attention to:

1) The goal of increasing the accountability of search engines should be achieved through the introduction of effective due diligence obligations and not by making them beneficiaries of a broad and unjustified immunity (“safe harbour”). This would fall below some existing national measures and obligations on search engines to effectively remove illegal content. This would also go against the EU’s general political commitment not to modify or broaden the liability limitations under the e-Commerce Directive. We are also very concerned about the proposals to establish that intermediary services can continue to benefit from the “safe harbour” privileges even when they do not comply with their due diligence obligations. The contrary is true; diligent behaviour is and should continue to be a factor to assess the eligibility for “safe harbours”. Offering the “safe harbour” privileges to non-diligent operators would remove all real and impactful incentives for compliance with their obligations under the DSA.

2) The introduction of specific time limits (even as upper limits) for the take down of illegal content would substantially weaken the current obligation to take “expeditious” action, creating an unintentional disincentive for hosting services to act as diligent operators. The DSA should ensure that “expeditious removal” means ‘as fast as possible’ for all content and even ‘immediately’ during live broadcast and for content that has particular time-sensitivity. Any indication of specific time limits would be short-sighted and make the DSA obsolete very quickly in light of the continuous and rapid technological developments.

3) The lack of ambition in setting truly effective due diligence obligations fails to reflect the broad scope of illegal activity that takes place online. In particular, extending the scope of application of the obligations to ensure the traceability of business users (“Know Your Business Customer”) is absolutely necessary to tackle the serious problem of illegal operators acting on a commercial scale and hiding behind false identities. There should also be more effective tools introduced when it comes to addressing rogue players, repeat infringers and systematic illegal activities. A meaningful mechanism for the enforcement of these obligations should be established to ensure that EU consumers have as little exposure as possible to illegal content, services and products.

The DSA is a great opportunity for the EU to create a secure, well-functioning online environment that enables our creative sector to grow in the EU Digital Single Market. It is crucial to make the most of this opportunity to future-proof the DSA and ensure high standards of diligence and accountability for online operators.

We urge you to take our concerns into consideration and to ensure that the DSA achieves its original objectives and does not hinder the growth of our sector.

We stand ready to support you in this endeavour and we remain available to discuss this with you further.

Yours sincerely,

AEPO-ARTIS
ANIMATION in EUROPE
CEPI,
CEPIC
ECSA
EIBF
EUROCINEMA
FEP
FERA
FIA
FIAD
FIAPF
FIM
FSE
GESAC
IAO
ICMP
IFPI
IFTA
IMPALA
IMPF
IVF
MPA
SROC
STM

Today, the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) published its opinion on the Commission’s Intellectual Property Action Plan to support the EU’s recovery and resilience.

The driving force behind the Commission’s Action Plan, which was adopted in November 2020, was to address the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and in particular the effect it had on small to medium sized businesses. It aimed to create awareness on the specific role IPR can play in helping the European industry recover and to encourage Member States to participate in achieving those objectives. Unfortunately, in the Commission’s original plan, the role that IPR can play in the recovery of the cultural sector was underexposed, or rather non-existent.

For AEPO-ARTIS, and the 650.000 performers our members represent, it is very encouraging to see that the CULT committee has taken on board several recommendations made by AEPO-ARTIS and has worked hard to ensure that the role of IP for the cultural sector, and more specifically performers, has its place in the Commission’s Action Plan.

Literal implementation of the copyright directive is not an option.

In its Opinion the committee clearly refers to the importance of implementing the Directive without delay, stressing that it could play “a key role in the revival of the culture and media sector”. It went further to say that this should be done “properly” and “in a manner which reflects the agreement struck by the co-legislators”. With these wordings, CULT sends the message that merely copy/pasting the Directive into national law is not enough.

Article 18 of the Directive receives specific attention from the committee highlighting that performers “continue to be pressured into unfavourable contracts, often giving up the rights to their intellectual property without receiving appropriate and proportionate remuneration for their creative work”.

It notes “with concern that the winners of the digital growth of culture were predominantly not the creators but the online distributors” and stresses that a robust and fair remuneration for author’s and neighbouring rights is essential and Member States must reinforce their IPR framework to protect creators and performers.

The audiovisual sector is mentioned explicitly by the Committee as it strongly criticises work-for-hire and buy-out practices applied by video-on-demand platforms. It recommends that the Commission “thoroughly investigate such practices of global streaming platforms”, thereby stressing the need to establish appropriate remuneration mechanisms. It is clear to the CULT Committee that despite the increasing profits of these platforms, performers are still not receiving the remuneration they deserve.

As AEPO-ARTIS has advocated, the key issues need to be addressed effectively to ensure that a solution is found to the real problems performers face.

Member States have the opportunity to do this by implementing article 18 in a way that introduces a right for performers guaranteeing that they receive equitable remuneration for on demand use of their performances in the music and audiovisual sectors and by the platforms described in article 17, to be collected by collective management organisations on their behalf.

It is hoped that during the implementation process of the Copyright Directive, national governments take to heart the strong positions expressed in the opinion and ensure that the aim of the European co-legislators to ensure effective protection of performers and other rightholders is actually achieved.

A warm thank you to all of you who participated in the AEPO-ARTIS and SAA event yesterday (supported by the European Parliament’s Cultural Creators Friendship Group): Collective management: A safety net for authors and performers on 17 March 2021.

To those who signed up but unfortunately could not make it, the recording of the event can be watched here. https://vimeo.com/525452327

Our panel was moderated by Gregor Štibernik (CEO of the Collecting Society of Authors, Performers and Producers of Audiovisual Works of Slovenia). The guests were: Jochen Greve (screenwriter, Germany), Nacho Garcia Vega (musician, Spain), Cécile Despringre (Executive Director of the SAA), Yolanda Schweri (Member of the Board of SWISSPERFORM and Member of the Board of AEPO-ARTIS). With us we also had three Members of the European Parliament’s Cultural Creators Friendship Group: Alexis Georgoulis (GUE, Greece), Niklas Nienaß (the Greens, Germany) and Hannes Heide (S&D, Austria). Their biographies are here.

AEPO-ARTIS – is a non-profit making organisation that represents 36 European performers’ collective management organisations from 26 different countries. The number of performers represented by the 36 member organisations of AEPO-ARTIS can be estimated at between 400,000 and 500,000.
Press: Nicole Schulze, aepo-artis@aepo-artis.org, +32 2 280 19 34 @aepoartis

SAA – the Society of Audiovisual Authors is the association of European collective management organisations representing audiovisual authors. Its 33 members in 25 countries manage rights for over 160,000 film, television and multimedia European screenwriters and directors. Press: Annica Ryngbeck, a.ryngbeck@saa-authors.eu, +32 475 66 95 94. @saabrussels #WeLoveAuthors

CCFG – the Cultural Creators Friendship Group is a cross-partisan coalition in the European Parliament with members from six different political groups. We aim at improving the whole European cultural ecosystem, such as the Cultural and Creative Sectors and especially the situation and conditions of creators, for example authors, performers and artists.
@CultCreatorsEU

Members of the Cultural Creators Friendship Group (CCFG) in the European Parliament released yesterday a video in support of the implementation of article 18 of the 2019 Copyright Directive calling on Member States to implement the article in a meaningful way. The European Parliament who has fought hard in support of article 18 during the legislative process, will closely monitor the implementation of this provision.

Performers have been granted a right to appropriate and proportionate remuneration and Member States have to introduce into their national law the necessary measures in order for this provision to be effective.

According to AEPO-ARTIS and its members, this can be achieved in terms of on demand uses via an unwaivable remuneration right, paid by platforms and administered by performers’ collective management organisations. This is a mechanism already in operation in Spain, where it has delivered a fair share of revenues for performers without any negative impact on consumer prices or business practices. This mechanism has also been supported by leading academics (see here).

Cultural Creators Friendship Group – CCFG on Article 18 of the Copyright Directive – YouTube

Performers’ organisations welcome European Parliament’s CCFG call to the European Commission and Member States to ensure an effective implementation of article 18 EU Copyright Directive guaranteeing the fair remuneration of authors and performers for the use of their work on streaming services

Today’s open letter of the Cultural Creators Friendship Group of the European Parliament sends a strong signal to the European Commission and the Member States. It confirms that the European Parliament stands fully behind article 18 of the 2019 Copyright Directive, which aims to provide performers with a proportionate remuneration for all online exploitations of their fixed performances, including from on demand use.

The FAIR INTERNET coalition strongly welcomes this open letter which is available here: CCFG Open Letter

Member States, who are now implementing this provision into their national laws, should not limit such implementation to a mere verbatim of article 18 of the 2019 Copyright Directive. They must make sure that the objective of the article is met.

Compliance with the spirit and objectives of article 18 depend entirely on the measures that Member States will put in place. They must create a sustainable streaming market, where performers are fairly and proportionately remunerated. The FAIR INTERNET coalition believes that the introduction of an unwaivable remuneration right, managed by performers’ CMOs and paid by digital platforms, constitutes an option that is simple, efficient and fully in line with the EU acquis.

It is crucial that Member States ensure that the 2019 Copyright Directive results in an actual improvement of the situation of performers. The status quo is not an acceptable!

 

The FAIR INTERNET coalition statement is available here: FAIR INTERNET coalition statement

For further information please contact:
Nicole Schulze
+32 487 25 09 51

In 2019 after long negotiations, the EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market was adopted. Article 18 of this Directive obliges Member States to ensure that authors and performers receive fair and proportionate remuneration from the exploitation of their work, including in the online environment. It is however for the Member States to put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that such remuneration is effectively granted to authors and performers.

The transposition of the Directive has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Member States resume discussions on how best to implement the Directive, we urge members of the European Parliament to follow very closely this debate at national level.

The European Parliament fought very hard in the negotiations leading to the 2019 Copyright Directive for a positive change that would guarantee that performers can make a living from the exploitation of their performances, including via digital platforms.

Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic, with tens of thousands of performers receiving close to nothing as European audiences massively turned to streaming content, has demonstrated how fragile the current system is and how much this provision must be given full meaning in practice.
We therefore call on MEPs to ensure that Member States will deliver an effective implementation of article 18, which will guarantee that performers are at last fairly remunerated in the digital environment.

Signed:

Tilo Gerlach, President AEPO-ARTIS

Dominick Luquer, General Secretary FIA

Benoît Machuel, General Secretary FIM

Nacho Garcia Vega, President IAO

 

The open letter is available here:

Open Letter to the European Parliament: Performers call on MEPs to ensure that their efforts to guarantee fair remuneration, including from online exploitation, are not “lost in transposition”.

 

Investing in Europe’s next generation by investing in culture

As the EU has started discussing the proposed recovery plan, 94 organisations from across Europe’s cultural and creative sectors are uniting their voices to alert EU leaders: our sector needs strong and systemic support measures to recover from this crisis.

As it is now well understood, the cultural and creative world is one of the first and hardest hit by the crisis. According to the Commission’s own estimates, some parts of our sector – which accounts for €509bn in value added to GDP and over 12 million full-time jobs – are expected to lose up to 80% of their turnover in the 2nd quarter of 2020.

We have a higher than average percentage of self-employed workers, freelancers, micro-businesses and youth employment, which makes us particularly vulnerable in times of crisis.

As the European economy is slowly restarting, it is far from business as usual. Cultural actors are gradually resuming their activities, but all have to implement strict safety rules which means they won’t be operating at full capacity for the foreseeable future and are therefore facing challenging economic decisions. From individual creators and creative workers all the way to big production and media companies, the whole value chain is impacted.

And yet the recovery package announced by the Commission on 27 May does not reflect the reality of the cultural and creative sector, despite the encouraging messages by the Commission and the strong position taken by the European Parliament.

The proposal on the table falls way short of our sector’s expectations:

• Despite being identified as one of 14 of the hardest hit ecosystems, there is neither a sector specific instrument for culture, nor a clear indication on whether or how we can benefit from different instruments. The section on REACT-EU in the Commission’s Communication1 refers to culture, but there is no guarantee that we will receive appropriate support.
• As for Creative Europe, the EU’s only programme specifically dedicated to the cultural and creative sec- tor, the Commission’s announcement is a missed opportunity and a real disappointment. Along with the budget dedicated to education and youth, the budget dedicated to culture is the only one to decrease compared to the Commission’s own 2018 proposal, and it is a far cry from the European parliament’s position2 . Quite ironic for a recovery plan named “Next Generation EU”.
• To bring the EU’s support for our sector to a level that is commensurate with its contribution to the EU’s economy and its citizens’ wellbeing, we call on Member States and the European Parliament:
• To push for a substantial increase of the Creative Europe budget. We fully support the European Parlia- ment’s proposal for a budget of €2.8bn.
• To guarantee that the entire sector can benefit appropriately from the recovery plan’s various instruments.

Let’s invest in culture to show the EU’s #NextGeneration that we really care about their future!

1. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/communication-europe-moment-repair-prepare-next-generation.pdf
2 The European Commission is proposing €1.5bn for Creative Europe (€1.7 in 2018 prices) while it proposed 1.85bn in 2018 (€1.6bn in today’s prices).

AEPO ARTIS – Association of European Performers’ Organisations
AER – Association of European Radios
Animation Europe
BOZAR – Centre for Fine Arts Brussels
CALLIAS Foundation
CEDC – European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity
CEM – Centre Européen de Musique
CEPI – European Audiovisual Production
CEPIC – Centre of the Picture Industry
10.CICAE – International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas 11.CIRCOSTRADA – European Network for Circus & Street Arts
12.De Concert!
13.EAS – European Association for Music in Schools
14.ECSA – European Composer and Songwriter Alliance
15.EDN – European Dancehouse Network
16.EFA – European Festivals Association
17.EFFORTS – The European Federation of Fortified Sites
18.EFJ – The European Federation of Journalists
19.EFNYO – European Federation of National Youth Orchestras
20.EFP – European Film Promotion
21.EGDF – European Games Developer Federation
22.EHTTA – European Historic Thermal Towns Association
23.EIBF – European and International Booksellers Federation
24.EJN – Europe Jazz Network
25.ELIA – Globally Connected European Network of Higher Arts Education 26.EMC – European Music Council
27.EMCY – European Union of Music Competitions for Youth
28.EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange
29.EMMA – European Magazine Media Association
30.EMMA – European Music Managers Alliance
SIGNATORIES
31.EMU – The European Music School Union
32.ENCATC – European network on cultural management and cultural policy
33.ENCC – European Network of Cultural Centres
34.ENPA – European Newspaper Publishers Association
35.EOFed – European Orchestra Federation
36.EPC – European Publishers Council
37.ERIH – The European Route of Industrial Heritage
38.ESNS – Eurosonic Noorderslag
39.ETC – European Theatre Convention
40.Eurocinema
41.Europa Distribution – The European Network of Independent Film Publishers and Dis-
tributors
42.Europa International – the network of European sales agents
43.Europavox : music online media & festivals
44.ECA – European Choral Association – Europa Cantat
45.EVA – European Visual Artists
46.EWC – European Writers’ Council
47.FEDEC – European Federation for Professional Circus Schools
48.FERA – Federation of European Film Directors
49.FEP – Federation of European Publishers
50.FIA – International Federation of Actors
51.FIAD – The International Federation of Film Distributors’ Associations
52.FIAPF – International Federation of Film Producers Associations
53.FIM – International Federation of Musicians
54.FSE – Federation of Screenwriters in Europe
55.GESAC – European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers
56.GIGMIT
57.IAMIC – International Association of Music Information Centres
58.IAML – International Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and Documentation Cen-
tres, member of EMC
59.IAO – International Artist Organisation of Music
60.ICMP – The Global Voice of Music Publishing
61.IETM – International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts
62.IFJ – International Federation of Journalists
63.IFPI – International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
64.IFRRO – International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations 65.IGCAT – International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism 66.IMMF – International Music Managers Forum
67.IMPALA – The Independent Music Companies Association
68.IMPF – The Independent Music Publishers International Forum
69.IMZ – IMZ International Music + Media Centre
70.In-Situ – European Platform for Artistic Creation in Public Space
71.INES – Innovation Network of European Showcases
72.ISCM – International Society for Contemporary Music on behalf of the 73.ISFE – The Interactive Software Federation of Europe
74.IVF – International Video Federation
75.Live DMA – European network for live music venues & festivals 76.Liveurope – The live music platform for new European talent
77.KEA European Affairs
78.MCA – Michael Culture Association
79.NAMM – National Association of Music Merchants
80.NEMO – The Network of European Museum Organisations
81.News Media Europe
82.On the Move
83.Pearle* – Live Performance Europe
84.REMA – European Early Music Network
85.Res Artis – Worldwide Network of Arts Residencies
86.SAA – Society of Audiovisual Authors
87.SEEHN – South East European Heritage Network
88.SHAPE – Sound, Heterogeneous Art and Performance in Europe 89.Sistema Europe – The Sistema Europe Association
90.Tenso Network Europe
91.UNI MEI – UNI global union – media, entertainment & arts
92.UNIC – International Union of Cinemas
93.We Are Europe
94.Yourope – The European Festival Association

 

 

The joint letter is available here: Joint sector call – Investing in Europe’s next generation by investing in culture

Europe’s cultural and creative sectors call for ambitious EU budgetary measures to get through the COVID-19 crisis

Time to put words into action!

Europe’s cultural and creative sectors were among the first and hardest hit by the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. They will also be among the last. Across Europe, almost all cultural activities have been cancelled or postponed indefinitely, while venues and retailers have closed with disastrous consequences for all creators’ and cultural and creative professionals’ livelihoods, as well as the ecosystem as a whole. Millions of jobs are on the line.

In its Resolution on how to combat the COVID-19 crisis and its consequences, the European Parliament rightly underlines that the cultural and creative sectors “have been hit especially hard by the fallout from the COVID-19” and “calls for the EU and the Member States to provide support to the cultural and creative sectors as they play an important role for our economy and our social life and are severely affected by the current crisis”.

Commissioners, Ministers and MEPs are also regularly stressing the vital importance of protecting and supporting the cultural ecosystem and creators all over Europe, to ensure that they can continue to create and invest – for the enjoyment of all Europeans, both during and after the crisis.

So far, the EU has provided much-needed financial support to Member States to protect jobs, workers and businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but has failed to adequately address the specific needs of our sectors. The Cultural and Creative Sectors, which stand at €509bn in value added to GDP and over 12 million full-time jobs (7.5 % of the EU’s work force), must be considered as priority sectors and benefit from ambitious budgetary measures. Only a limited number of countries have introduced broad furlough compensation schemes while the majority of professionals working in the cultural and creative sectors were put on unpaid leave as very few employers have the means to continue paying salaries or compensation without state support. In addition, our sectors have a much higher than average percentage of self-employed workers with little to no access to social benefits who find themselves in extremely precarious situations as they are left without resources.

As the European Commission is due to propose a new long-term EU budget and recovery plan, it is now time to put words into action. The undersigned organisations from across Europe’s cultural and creative sectors are calling on the EU:

• To propose an ambitious budget for the future Creative Europe Programme 2021-2027 – the only EU framework Programme specifically dedicated to the cultural and creative sectors – which represents today a mere 0.15% of the overall EU Budget. The European Parliament’s proposal for a budget of €2.8bn should be considered the absolute minimum for a Programme commensurate with the sector’s contribution to the EU economy and wellbeing, and with its needs and challenges in these times of crisis.
• To ensure that the cultural and creative sectors, are included as priority sectors in the EU’s planned Recovery Fund, with sector specific funding. Our sectors are among the hardest hit, and our intercon- nected value-chains are fragile – if they are to get through the crisis, especially SMEs, urgent support is needed, including liquidity/cash flow measures leading into 2021.
• Boosting the EU’s loan guarantee facility for the cultural and creative sectors under the future Invest EU programme, with increased budget, guarantees and flexibility. Loan guarantee instruments have a demonstrated trigger effect on investment, which is urgently needed in these difficult economic times.
• To secure a strong budget for Horizon Europe’s new cluster “culture, creativity and inclusive society”. In light of their innovation-driven and risk-taking nature, Europe’s cultural and creative sectors should benefit from a strong budget under Horizon Europe.
• To ensure that EU funds, notably structural funds, reach the cultural and creative sectors swiftly and effectively.

   

• To ensure that a meaningful part of the EU funding is also deployed to support the livelihood of creators, creative workers and freelancers throughout this unprecedented crisis.

In these hard times, as the contribution of Europe’s cultural and creative sectors to the social, economic and artistic development of Europe couldn’t be more tangible, yet our sectors find themselves in danger of partial collapse, it is more important than ever to preserve and support Europe’s arts, culture and heritage and the values they promote.

Investing in our culture is investing in our future. Now is the time to turn words into concrete measures.

SIGNATORIES

ACT – Association of Commercial Television in Europe
AEC – Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Académies de Musique et Musikhochschulen AEPO-ARTIS – Association of European Performers’ Organisations
ANIMATION EUROPE
CAE – Culture Action Europe
CEATL – The Council of European Literary Translator Associations
CEPI – European Audiovisual Production
CEPIC – Centre of the Picture Industry
CICAE – International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas
CIRCOSTRADA – European Network for Circus & Street Arts
ECA – European Choral Association – Europa Cantat
ECCD – The European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity
ECSA – European Composer and Songwriter Alliance
EDN – European Dancehouse Network
EFA – European Festivals Association
EFFORTS – European federation of fortified sites
EFJ – The European Federation of Journalists
EFNYO – On behalf of the European Federation of National Youth Orchestras
EFP – European Film Promotion
EHTTA – European Historic Thermal Towns Association
EI – Europa International
EIBF – European and International Booksellers
ELIA – globally connected European network of higher arts education
EMC – European Music Council
EMCY – European Union of Music Competitions for Youth
EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange
EMU – European Music School Union
ENCATC – The European network on cultural management and policy
ENCC – European Network of Cultural Centres
EOFed – European Orchestra Federation
ERIH – The European Route of Industrial Heritage EuroCinema
Europa Cinémas
Europavox
Eurozine – European network of cultural journals
EVA – European Visual Artists
FEDEC – European Federation for Professional Circus Schools
FEP – Federation of European Publishers
FERA – Federation of European Film Directors
FIA – International Federation of Actors
FIAPF – International Federation of Film Producers Associations
FIM – International Federation of Musicians
FSE – Federation of Screenwriters in Europe
GESAC – The European Authors’ Societies
IAO – International Artist Organisation of Music
ICMP – The Global Voice of Music Publishing
IETM – International network for contemporary performing arts
IFPI – International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
IFRRO – International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations IGCAT – International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism IMMF – International Music Managers Forum
IMPALA – Independent music companies association
IMPF – Independent Music Publishers International Forum
IN SITU – European platform for artistic creation in public space
ISFE – The Interactive Software Federation of Europe
IVF – International Video Federation
JM International
KEA European Affairs
Live DMA – European network for music venues, clubs and festivals Liveurope – the platform for new European talent
Michael Culture
NEMO – The Network of European Museum Organisations
On the Move
REMA – the European Early Music Network
Res Artis – Worldwide Network of Arts Residencies
SAA – Society of Audiovisual Authors
SHAPE – Sound, Heterogeneous Art and Performance in Europe Sistema Europe – The Sistema Europe Association
UNI MEI – UNI global union – media, entertainment & arts UNIC – International Union of Cinemas
Yourope – The European Festival Association

 

The statement is available for download here: Europe’s cultural and creative sectors: Covid-19 statement