Today, after almost 3 years of negotiations, the European Parliament voted in favour of the latest version of the EU Copyright Directive, i.e. the text agreed between the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament in February. This approval paves the way for the final adoption of the text within the coming weeks.

The EFADs welcome the adoption of one of the main initiatives of the Digital Single Market that is designed to ensure better remuneration of creators and to make it clear that platforms are liable for the content to which they give access.

In particular, the EFADs are supportive of provisions aiming at facilitating film education and film heritage activities, as well as efforts to increase the availability of European works online, while preserving the territorial exclusivity on which the European audiovisual industry is currently based.

“With the Copyright Directive, one of the cornerstones of the Digital Single Market is now completed. The EFADs will closely monitor the implementation of those provisions intended to better remunerate audiovisual creators and those that protect all rights holders from the illegal exploitation of their works. They will also make sure that all provisions enhancing legal access and visibility of European works will deliver concrete results and enable European citizens to more fully enjoy the beauty, diversity and uniqueness of European works online” commented Luis Chaby Vaz, President of the EFADs.