European Parliament takes step backwards on Copyright in the Digital Single Market

“The outcome on this Directive highlights the disjointed and contradictory approach between publicstatements and actual legislative decisions. The good words and encouraging initiatives on AI, investment and innovation are cut short with a reactionary lack of vision and maintaining of the status quo,” said Bonefeld-Dahl.

DIGITALEUROPE urges the European Parliament not to simply accept the outcome of the JURI committee but to have a broader discussion in plenary, to revisit and take into account the impact of the proposal onEurope’s competitiveness. Copyright policy cannot be considered as a niche tool only applicable for certain sectors: rules on text-and-data mining, intermediary liability and the sharing of news online have drastic effects on European industry, modern creators, start-ups and civil society.

The evidence gathered by academia, journalists, and even the internal research done by European Parliament and Commission have demonstrated the flaws of the Copyright Directive. Many MEPs and political groups have given this a fair analysis and made proposals to improve the text and deliver a beneficial result to European citizens and businesses. DIGITALEUROPE looks forward to supporting this debate in the coming months, through the Parliament plenary and eventual trilogue negotiations.