Authors’ Group press statement on the transposition of the 2019 EU Copyright Directive

The Authors’ Group deeply regrets the slow pace of implementation of the 2019 Copyright Directive and calls on all EU Member States which do not comply with the Directive to engage urgently in a faithful and prompt implementation.

Today’s date marks the deadline for EU Member States to implement the 2019 Copyright Directive, intended to benefit authors and performers by improving their contracts and providing for a fair and proportionate remuneration for the use of their works. However, only a handful of EU Member States have now effectively transposed the Directive.

While we acknowledge the impact of the pandemic on this delay, the Authors’ Group deeply regrets such a slow pace of implementation, and its concrete consequences. As the COVID 19 crisis has a detrimental and long-lasting impact on our members’ livelihoods, those delays can only exacerbate the current situation and perpetuate a system already acknowledged by the Directive to be unfair and inefficient.

We therefore call on all EU Member States which have not done so already, to engage urgently in an ambitious transposition and take into account our recommendations for a thorough and faithful implementation process in national legislation, consistent with the spirit of the Directive. We also ask the European Commission to monitor closely the situation and launch infringing procedures where necessary.

As the rise of streaming platforms on the EU market has been accelerated by the pandemic, it is more urgent than ever to ensure that authors can benefit from their creative successes when their works are exploited, in particular online. Let us not miss this opportunity to promote a sustainable future for Europe’s authors and future generations who want to write, compose and create.

The Authors’ Group is Europe’s leading Authors’ network representing hundreds of thousands of authors, including writers, literary translators, composers, songwriters, film/TV directors and screenwriters in Europe. The Authors’ Group consists of the following associations: European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), European Writers’ Council (EWC), Federation of European Film and TV Directors (FERA) and Federation of Screenwriters in Europe (FSE).