News from ECSA: May 2026

In a statement published on 21 May, ECSA welcomed the draft report on the proposal for a regulation establishing the ‘AgoraEU’ programme (2028-2034) by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Emma Rafowicz (S&D - France) and Alice Kuhnke (Greens/EFA - Sweden). We particularly welcome the report’s sector-specific approach and proposal to allocate at least 15% of the programme’s budget to the “Culture - Music strand”. Moreover, we embrace the report’s emphasis on prioritising human creativity over AI generated works; its focus on ensuring artistic freedom, fair remuneration and social protection for artists and cultural and creative professionals, including through the application of social conditionality; and its proposal to establish an independent, centralised European Music Observatory. Find our full statement below.

During a meeting of the Council of the European Union on 12 May, EU Culture Ministers discussed the necessity of assessing the EU copyright legal framework to consider AI development. We warmly welcome Spain’s proposal of this debate, as well as its commitment to ensuring that creators can enforce their rights, and thank all supporting Member States. Specifically, we welcome Member States’ support for the recent European Parliament resolution on copyright and their calls for a review of the EU copyright framework – including more transparency and an assessment of the application of the Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception to AI, as highlighted by Spain. We also welcome Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen’s commitment to creating a flourishing licensing market and ensuring remuneration across the whole value chain, as well as the European Commission’s willingness to consider new measures to complement existing copyright rules.

On 14 and 15 July, ECSA President Helienne Lindvall will speak about composers' challenges in this day and age, notably around AI, at SoundTrack_Cologne. Taking place in Cologne, Germany from 14 to 17 July,  the event is one of Europe's leading congresses for music and sound in film, games and media. Helienne Lindvall will be speaking at the conference’s opening on 14 July, as well as on a roundtable on rights attribution for AI works. During the roundtable, scheduled from 12:00 to 13:00, Helienne, ECSA Board Member Anselm Kreuzer, Michael Duderstädt (GEMA) and Dr. S. Dennis Engbrink, LL.M. (ZIRNGIBL Lawyers) will explore the most pressing questions in the current AI and music debate. The roundtable is part of AI MusicCon, a full-day strand of SoundTrack_Cologne featuring 16 events dedicated exclusively to AI and music.

From 4 to 6 June, the Composers Soundtracks Festival (CSF) will take place in Amsterdam for the first time. The festival brings together composers, filmmakers, and other professionals to celebrate the art of music for film and visual media. During a session on 5 June at 15:00, ECSA’s European Affairs Officer Giacomo Bonetti will give an overview of today’s key challenges facing audiovisual composers in Europe, including harmful contractual practices as well as ECSA’s ongoing work in this regard. Further information on the conference and details on how to attend are available via the link below.

On 6 May, Liveurope organised the 12th edition of EUphoria, its annual event celebrating Europe through music, at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. This year’s discussions focused on the future of AgoraEU and stronger EU support for the music sector. The event opened with a conversation between European Commissioner Glenn Micallef and MME Award-winning artist Della from Cyprus. Following this, during the panel discussion “Europe, turn up the volume!”, MEP Emma Rafowicz (S&D - France) stressed the importance of a sectoral approach for music within AgoraEU, backed by a dedicated budget. The discussion, also joined by Jess Partridge (EMMA), Frank Kimenai (KEA), Gordelia Miländer (Paavli Kultuurivabrik) and moderator Fabien Miclet, also highlighted other challenges facing the sector, including generative AI and market concentration. Find more information via Liveurope’s press release below.

On 30 April 2026, ECSA answered to the European Commission’s public consultation on the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. In its answer, our alliance supports maintaining and strengthening current rules on quotas, prominence, and investment in audiovisual works. We also ask the Commission to ensure public subsidies and tax incentives do not benefit works produced via coercive buyout contracts that circumvent EU copyright law. Finally, ECSA also calls for extending the scope of the Directive to music streaming services with increased transparency over algorithms and playlists and setting indicators to measure visibility and diversity, while addressing the harmful impact of AI-generated music on digital platforms.

French ECSA member Union des Compositrices et Compositeurs (U2C) has announced the 2026 edition of the U2C Awards, celebrating music for screen and image. The ceremony will take place at Cinémathèque Française in Paris on Monday 22 June at 20:00. The awards recognise composers working across different categories including feature film, TV fiction, series, documentaries, short film, advertising, video games and young talent. If you wish to attend, please email contact@u2c.fr before 5 June. 

Last month, a delegation of Polish ECSA member Society of Polish Audiovisual Composers (SPACe) participated in the Composers Summit Prague, one of Europe’s leading events for film, television and game music composers. The festival included workshops, panels, networking sessions and performances with international industry professionals. During the conference, Polish composer Grzegorz Łapiński received the second prize in the Worldwide Composers Competition.

On 20 May, ECSA proudly announced that Patrick Doyle will be honoured with an Outstanding Contribution Award at the 2026 edition of the Camille Awards. He will receive this honour in recognition of his long and distinguished career both as a uniquely gifted film composer and as a committed advocate for the community of film composers. The Camille Awards, organised by ECSA and hosted by ACOM (Austrian Composers Association), will take place on 22 September at the MuTh Theatre in Vienna, Austria. More information on how to attend will follow soon.

This month, the Polish Society of Authors ZAiKS and the Szczecin Philharmonic have launched the 4th International Mieczysław Karłowicz Composers’ Competition, inviting composers worldwide to submit original works for symphony orchestra of 9 to 12 minutes. The competition offers a total prize fund of 40,000 euros and will conclude with a final concert in Szczecin, Poland on 27 November 2026, where the finalist works will be performed by the Szczecin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. Audience and orchestra prizes will also be awarded. The deadline for submissions is 31 August 2026. Information on the competition rules and the submission form are available at the link below.