Issues

In the sections covering the three core objectives of our federation you will find a number of policy statements and documents of importance for European policy on authors' rights, copyright and policy.

Our support to the implementation of Public Lending Right in Europe has been part of our permanent work programme. One of our  instruments to effect change and create awareness is the PLR resolution issued in each European PLR conference we co-organise. Here you can find the most recent ones: The Bucharest (2008) and the Budapest (2007) Resolutions.

THE BUCHAREST 2008 PLR RESOLUTION

5TH European Public Lending Right Conference Bucharest 19-21September 2008

This Conference brought together representatives of authors’ organisations and other agencies from over 20 European Union member and candidate states. The meeting was organised under the aegis of the European Writers Council (EWC-FAEE AISBL). The Conference reviewed the progress of Member States in implementing the PLR provisions of Directive 92/100/EEC on Rental, Lending Rights and Piracy (codified in Directive 2006/115/EC of the European Parliament and the Council, of 12 December 2006 OJ L 376, 27.12.2006, P. 28) during the year since the Conference’s last meeting in Budapest in April 2007.  

The Conference deplores the continuing failure or delay of several Member States, in particular Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Romania, to fully and effectively implement the PLR provisions of the 1992 Directive so that authors may receive their legal and material remuneration. We also call on non-EU countries like Switzerland and EU candidate countries such as Croatia to implement PLR schemes for their authors.

The failure of these countries to meet their legal obligations and introduce PLR systems is in marked contrast to the situation in other Member States where PLR is now a great success story and where PLR remuneration provides vital support for authors’ creativity and for their livelihoods. These include the longer-established PLR systems in the Scandinavian countries, Germany and the UK, but also the newer PLR systems in countries like France, Slovenia and Estonia where PLR is now making a real difference to authors’ lives.      

We are therefore disturbed that the report of the European Commission  suggests that no further action is needed on PLR, in spite of the fact that not all countries have satisfactory operational schemes. We call upon the Commission to undertake in 2009 a review of the Directive’s implementation, and to renew its efforts to ensure that the Directive is fully complied with in every Member State.

Organisations Represented at the Conference

European Writers’ Congress – “EWC-FAEE A.I.S.B.L.”
NFF - The Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers' and Translators' Association
AELC - Associació d’Escriptors en Llengua Catalana
ALCS - The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society
CEDRO - Centro Español de Derechos Reprográficos
Czech Association of Professional Artists´ Organisations
Czech Translators´ Guild
Czech PEN
DILIA - Authors´ Licensing and Collecting Society
European Council of Artists
The Irish Writers’ Union
LATGA-A, Agency of Lithuanian Copyright Protection Association
AKKA/LAA - Latvian authors’ society
HLACS - Hungarian Literary Authors’ Collecting Society
Norwegian Authors’ Union
Slovene Writers’ Association
Swedish Writers’ Union
Writers' Union of Romania
Authors’ Remuneration Fund of Estonia
SNS - Sindacato Nazionale Scrittori
SPA - Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores

The 2007 Budapest  PLR Resolution

4th European PLR Conference -  Budapest, 19-22 April 2007

Conference Resolution

This conference brought together representatives of authors' organisations from 20 European Union Member States and Candidate Countries, including the two newest Member States; Bulgaria and Romania.  The conference has been organised under the aegis of the European Writers Congress (EWC-FAEE AISBL). The conference, which last met in Madrid in March 2006, reviewed the progress of Member States over the last year in implementing the PLR provisions of the 1992 Directive on Rental, Lending Rights and Piracy.

The conference strongly supports the efforts being made by the European Commission to enforce correct implementation of the Directive in several established Member States; we also note the progress made towards correct implementation of the Directive's lending right provisions in the national laws of Ireland, Italy and Spain.  But the conference urges the Commission to:

(a) set a clear timetable for implementation of the Directive by all Member States to ensure that legislation leads to the establishment of working PLR systems; and

(b) take active steps to ensure that Member States provide equitable PLR payments to authors. 'Remuneration' cannot, we believe, be said to exist where the sums allowed for are in some countries so derisory.

The conference applauds the establishment of PLR systems in the newer Member States such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia, and the recent progress made in the Czech and Slovak Republics.  However, the conference urges the Commission to adopt a more proactive approach in achieving correct implementation of the Directive among those States such as Greece, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria where little progress has been made. In particular, the conference urges the government of the host country Hungary to take positive steps immediately to implement the Directive and respect the rights of the creators of one of Europe's oldest and most respected literatures.

Organisations Represented at the Conference

European Writers' Congress (EWC-FAEE A.I.S.B.L.)
József Attila Circle, Literary Association of Young Writers (Hungary)    
KOPINOR  (Norway)
The Norwegian Non Fiction Writers & Translators Association
Estonian Authors' Remuneration Fund
AKKA/LAA (Latvia)
Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (UK)
CEDRO (Spain)
DILIA (Czech Republic)
Hellenic Authors' Society (Greece)
Irish Copyright Licensing Agency
Institute of Literature (Bulgaria)
Irish Writers Union
LITA (Slovak Republic)
Lithuanian Writers' Union
LUXORR Luxembourg Organisation for Reproduction Rights
REPROBEL  (Belgium)
SIAE (Italy)
SOFIA  (France)
Szépírók Társasága  (Hungary)
VG Wort (Germany)
Writers Union of Romania
ZIKAS (Poland)