The Federation of European Film Directors (FERA), the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe (FSE) and the Society of Audiovisual Authors (SAA) welcome the outcome of the trilogue negotiations on the Copyright Directive in the Digital Single Market. This is a real step forward for European authors.

After many months of difficult negotiations between the EU institutions, a political agreement on the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market has finally been reached yesterday, defining rules to guarantee authors’ rights and support European creation.

FERA, FSE and the SAA thank the EU decision-makers, in particular the European Parliament, for their determination to improve authors’ bargaining position and remuneration in Europe under intense pressure.

FERA, FSE and SAA endorse the essential provisions set out in Chapter 3 aiming at rebalancing the systemic weak bargaining situation of authors, and the new Article -14, which establishes a much-needed principle of fair and proportionate remuneration for authors and performers deriving from the exploitation of their works, including online.

Quotes

“Now that an agreement has been found, we call on EU institutions to formally adopt the Directive in a timely manner”, said Pauline Durand-Vialle, FERA Chief Executive.

“Europe’s authors are at the origin of our culture. Their difficult situation, which has been central to the European debate on copyright reform, can be significantly improved if the proposed Directive is enacted.”, said David Kavanagh, FSE Executive Officer.

“We call on the European Parliament’s plenary to confirm this political compromise. When the Directive will definitely be adopted, European representative organisations will be eager to support audiovisual authors through its implementation at national level. This way, they will better ensure that authors receive the proportionate remuneration they deserve for the exploitation of their works”, said Cécile Despringre, SAA Executive Director.