Collective Management
When in December 2002 the EU Parliament adopted its report on collective management our members embraced the conclusions and supported the aims. Our members were never opposed to harmonising legislation along the terms expressed in the report. EVA members agree, that a level playing field on issues such as the establishment and control over collection and distribution rules corresponds with a EU- wide recognition of their role and powers. EVA members take the need for transparency towards the artists being their members very serious which enables them to take an active role in democratic governance decisions.
While the Commission in its road map for 2005 still appeared to follow the same line the recent developments show that the direction has changed considerably. With its recent recommendation on the rights management for legal music on-line services the Commission has adopted instead of a binding instrument with a horizontal approach on some aspect of collective management a soft tool on one small market segment of one work category.
EVA appreciates that the European Commission follows the aims of the Lisbon agenda in order to create jobs and prosperity. However, we believe that the economic value of copyright expressed in numbers of jobs created and gross income by industries are only one aspect of copyright. Following the Berne Convention which is the basis of European copyright the author is the central player. For artists any revenue flowing from the use of his or her work is a moral recognition, a financial relief and an encouragement to continue creating works.
EVA has submitted its position on the Commission's study dated 28 June 2005.
October 2006: submission of a position on Content Online in a Single Market