EU policy/Press releases monitoring

EU policy initiative

This page is part of EU Policy initiative series and aims to collect and recap all official releases and statements by EU institutions regarding the policy areas of interest. The structure is chronological.

Copyright reform

Orientation Debate on Copyright

Full Name of Document: Commission agrees way forward for modernising copyright in the digital economy
Type: MEMO
Institution: European Commission
Date: 5 December 2012

In a nutshell:

Copyright must remain fit for the purpose of growth and innovation
Stakeholder dialogue to be initiated in 2013
New legislation proposal possible in 2014

IP Forum - Licensing Europe

Full Name of Document: Licences for Europe: quality content and new opportunities for all Europeans in the digital era
Type: Speech by Commissioner Barnier at IP Forum organised at the European Parliament by MEP Marielle Gallo.
Date: 6 December 2012
Institution: European Commission (speech), European Parliament (IP Froum)
Detailled report of the IP Froum

In a nutshell:

InfoSoc Directive revision possible
New exception to copyright not off the table
Stakeholder dialogue to be lauched
Cross border licensing and content availability is top priority

EC adopts Communication on Copyright

Full Name of Document: Copyright: Commission urges industry to deliver innovative solutions for great access to online content
Type: Press Release
Institution: European Commission
Date: 18 December 2012

In a nutshell:

Structured stakeholder dialogue to be launched in 2013.
Responsible Commissioners are Barnier (Internal Market and Services), Kores (Digital Agenda) and Vassiliou (Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth)
An on-going review of current EU copyright will be completed and generate input for the discussions.
The dialogue will be centred around four issues:
- Cross-border access and the portability of services
- User-generated content and licensing for small-scale users of protected material
- Audiovisual sector and cultural heritage institutions
- Text and data mining

Kroes: Driving digital growth

Full Name of Document: Driving digital growth
Type: Speech by Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kores
Institution: European Commission
Date: 18 December 2012

In a nutshell:

Cybersecurity Directive planned in 2013
Broadband access in remote areas
Lack of regulation not necessarily negative
Open source community must be part of the Digital Agenda
More digital entrepreneurship needed

Licenses for Europe: Kick-Off Plenary Session

Date: 4 February 2013
The structured stakeholder dialogue was opened by a plenary session attended by all three responsible Commissioners - Michel Barnier, Neelie Kroesand and Androulla Vasilliou. Following the plenary the four working groups - Cross-border Working group (WG1), User-Generated Content Working Group (WG2), Audiovisual Sector and Cultural Heritage Institutions (WG3) and Text and Data Mining for Scientific Research Purposes (WG4) - had their first meetings.

Speech by Michael Barnier

In a nutshell:

New forms of contractual relations necessary.
Single market/cross-border access to cotent a must.
Legal certainty for users that re-use online content.
How to make use of data mining technologies?

Speech by Neelie Kroes

In a nutshell:

People are afraid of re-using digital content.
Researchers and scientist need simpler access regulation.
Licenses must fit reality and be simpler.

Speech by Androulla Vassiliou

In a nutshell:

Copyright protects cultural diversity and rewards creativity.
Cross-border availablity is crucial.
Improve transparency of users', re-users' and creators' rights.
Do something with text and data mining.

Data Protection Reform

European Commission

A collection of press releases and documents (including public surveys and factsheets) from the EC.

Albrecht Report

Document: Draft Report on the Proposal of General Data Protection Regulation
Rapporteur: Jan Albrecht, MEP
Institution: European Parliament
Date: 10 January 2013

In a nutshell:

Critisised by the UK, praised by the European Data Protection Supervisor.
Users in control by "clear affirmative action" (i.e. no pre-ticked boxes).
Definition of personal data: Data that would identify a person either alone or in combination with other data.
Right to be Forgotten: Erasure envisioned if there is no legitimate reason to keep data.
Personal data breaches must be reported within 72 hours (instead of 24 os in orginial proposal).

Irish Presidency

Full Name of Document: Data Protection and Growth
Type:Joint statement by Commissioner Viviane Reding and Irish Minister for Justice Alan Shatter
Institution: Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Date: 29 January 2013

In a nutshell:

The Irish presidency would like to bring the process forward.
Data protection is seen mainly as an instrument to foster economic growth.

IMCO Committee Opinion

Full Name of Document: Opinion of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Type: Opinion following the committee vote of the proposed draft.
Institution: European Parliament
Date: 28.01.2013