EU Council Monitor - 16/01/09

Wednesday's session: Czech Presidency
"The economy and energy security are two priorities of the incoming Czech Presidency of the Union according to Czech PM Mirek Topolánek who addressed the House Wednesday. Later MEPs debated the crisis in Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine gas stand-off.

Czech PM outlines 6-month programme
Mirek Topolánek began his six-month term of office by thanking the former French Presidency for its work: "it is not easy to take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU after France. I see only one way to rise to the occasion, with honour."" [Europa]

Ministers of Finance to Hold the First Meeting of the Ecofin Council in 2009
"On 20 January 2009 Brussels will hold its first meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) under the auspices of the Czech Presidency.

On the eve of the meeting a regular gathering of ministers of the Eurogroup will take place. Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek will open the meeting and present the Ecofin Council programme during the Czech Presidency. This part of the meeting is open to the public and a recording (and live broadcast) will be available at the Council website." [EU2009]

Czechs want VAT compromise by March
"EU finance ministers will on Tuesday (20 January) discuss how a compromise could be achieved by March on a proposal to reduce value-added tax (VAT) rates on labour intensive services. The Czech presidency of the EU will present a timeline to ministers for discussion following an agreement by EU leaders in December that they should “settle this issue by March 2009”.

Miroslav Kalousek, the Czech finance minister, said that an agreement could be reached on the issue, which has been discussed by member states for three years. “I believe we will be able to reach a compromise. I imagine it will be applied to a narrow range of goods and services,” Kalousek said in Prague on Thursday (8 January).
“We will try and put forward a compromise and not undermine each other with unfair competition.”" [EuropeanVoice]

Czechs seek agreement on alternative institutional plans
"The Czech presidency of the EU wants member states to reach agreement by the end of June on alternative plans for institutions, including the European Commission, that would be affected by the adoption or rejection of the Lisbon treaty by the Irish people.

Alexandr Vondra, the Czech deputy prime minister, told journalists in Prague last week that the Czech presidency would try to finalise alternative plans. “We have to be ready for both scenarios, that the Lisbon treaty is in force by the end of the year, or we have to act and co-operate in the EU under the Nice treaty,” he said. Vondra said that a special meeting of ministers responsible for EU affairs held in Prague on 8 January had discussed the future size of the Commission and the arrangements for nominating the next president of the Commission, both issues affected by the fate of the Lisbon treaty." [EuropeanVoice]

EU Commission - Education Training Culture and Youth: 16/01/09

European Border Breaker Awards honour European debut artists in TV-show at EuroSonic NoorderslagFestival, Groningen (NL)
"The 2009 European Border Breaker Awards (EBBA's) were presented in a spectacular TV-show on the opening night of the EuroSonic Noorderslag Festival in Groningen (the Netherlands), in the presence of European Commissioner Ján Figel', numerous VIP’s and 1200 visitors. The awards show, which featured live performances by five of the ten award winning acts and by special guests Gabriel Rios and the Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, will be broadcast throughout Europe.

In making these awards, the European Commission, in cooperation with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), rewards debut artists' and groups' who have successfully crossed national borders. At the same time the prizes highlight and promote the richness and diversity of European music, its creativity and its contribution to innovation." [Europa]

EU Council Monitor - 09/01/09

Boosting Creativity and Innovation in Europe: Official launch of the European Year 2009 in Prague
"The Czech Presidency of the EU and European Commission launched the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 on Wednesday, 7 January with the slogan “Imagine. Create. Innovate”. The Year was inaugurated during a ceremony in Prague by the Commission President José Manuel Barroso and the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek. At the accompanying launch conference, the Ambassadors for the Year presented a report on creativity and innovation in the EU, whose message is that investment in education and in the skills and creative capacity of Europe should be the top priority of EU institutions and governments.

The conference to mark the launch of the Year was held in Prague on Wednesday afternoon, and was attended by a host of personalities including high representatives of EU member states, of the European Commission, members of the Czech government and several Ambassadors of the Year. The Conference ran in parallel to the meeting between the Commission and the Czech Government and was followed by the evening inauguration ceremony in the National Theatre in Prague." [Create2009]

Leading European intellectuals urge the EU to invest in Europe´s creative capacity
"A brainstorming session between nine Ambassadors of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 (EYCI) was held this morning in Prague, under the auspices of the Czech Presidency of the European Union. The roundtable conclusions will feed reflection, debate and policy-making all throughout the Year and beyond.

The Ambassadors present welcomed the decision of the EU to declare 2009 the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, particularly in the context of the current crisis, which creates opportunities for reform and change. Moreover, they expressed their commitment to contribute to the success of the Year and to foster long-term debate on these topics, crucial for Europe´s future position in the Word." [Create2009]

EU Parliament Monitor - 09/01/09

MEPs to back 'passport' for investment funds
"Revision makes cross-border investment easier; directive offers significant savings for funds.
The European Parliament is expected to approve a report next week (13 January) that will recommend making it easier for investment funds to operate outside the state they are registered in. Under a controversial management ‘passport' provision, which MEPs are set to insert into a directive proposed by the European Commission, investment funds will be able to locate their operations outside their state of origin more quickly. The revised directive on UCITS (undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities) will mean significant cost-savings for funds. It will also make cross-border mergers of investment funds easier." [EuropeanVoice]

The Week Ahead 12-18 January 2009: Plenary Session – Strasbourg (overview)
[Europa]

EU Commission - 09/01/09

Cinema: EU film support goes global
"Today, the European Commission adopted a new MEDIA MUNDUS programme, a broad international cooperation programme for the audiovisual industry to strengthen cultural and commercial relations between Europe's film industry and film-makers of third countries. The EU will provide €15 million of funding from 2011-2013 for projects submitted by audiovisual professionals from the EU and third countries. Cooperation with the European film industry is in strong demand around the globe as shown by the initial success of the MEDIA International Preparatory Action under which the EU provided € 2 million of funding for 18 projects involving international partners (IP/08/1273). The new MEDIA MUNDUS programme will run from 2011-2013 and will capitalise on this growing interest and the opportunities offered by global cooperation of the audiovisual industry. It will increase consumer choice by bringing more culturally diverse products to European and international markets and will create new business opportunities for audiovisual professionals from Europe and around the globe." [Europa]

EU Commission - 05/01/09

Success for the Commission’s Register for Interest Representatives
"The Commission’s Register for Interest Representatives, launched on 23 June 2008, is progressing well. European citizens now have direct access to information on the existence, diversity and multitude of represented interests; less than six months after the Register was begun, more than 700 organisations are now registered[1], with more being added every day.

There has been a steady and constant flow of some thirty additions per week to the Register. More than 400 organisations representing business and professional organisations are registered, along with more than 150 NGOs. Specialised consultancy firms and law firms lobbying the European institutions are still not signing up." [Europa]

Telecoms: Commission clears amended nationwide Spanish broadband regulations; maintains concerns on lack of high-speed remedies
"The European Commission has, with reservations, given its green light to the Spanish draft regulation on wholesale broadband access, notified by the Spanish regulator, the Comisión del mercado de las telecomunicaciones ("CMT") on 4 December 2008. The Commission believes that the revised version of the draft measures addresses some of the issues on which the Commission had expressed serious doubts (IP/08/1704). However, the Commission still believes that regulation of wholesale broadband access should not be limited to speeds of up to 30 Mb/s. On the basis of the Commission's presently limited powers of oversight, it can only invite the CMT to change its regulatory approach in this regard.

Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said: "I welcome CMT's efforts to address the Commission's serious doubts. We need to ensure that alternative operators can compete effectively with Telefónica while setting the right incentives for investments in new generation networks. This would result in more innovation and better prices for consumers."" [Europa]

Judicial Review of Merger Control Decisions After the Impala Saga: Time for Policy Choices?
"Shortly following the adoption of the first EC merger regulation, a question arose among legal scholars and practitioners: will the EC courts make a sufficiently swift and thorough review of the Commission's merger decisions?1 Or, in other words, will judicial review be both effective and expedient enough to be compatible with the constraints of commercial life? The Court of First Instance (the CFI) and the Court of Justice (the ECJ, together with the CFI, the EC Courts) did not shy away from addressing these legitimate concerns. The timeliness of judicial review was significantly enhanced in 2000 when the Rules of Procedure of the CFI and the ECJ were amended to establish an expedited procedure allowing the EC Courts to give priority to certain types of cases.2 Merger control is by far the field of law that has benefited the most from the new procedure.3 As to the thoroughness of the CFI's review, it invites much less criticism now that the CFI has demonstrated its readiness to control Commission decisions extensively and annul them if need be, as illustrated inter alia by its three famous judgments of 2002 annulling prohibition decisions.4 In 2005, the importance of a thorough substantive review was confirmed by the ECJ itself in its no less famous Tetra Laval judgment (Tetra Laval II).5 All these cases were decisive milestones in the coming of age of the judicial review of merger control decisions in the EU." [GlobalCompetitionReview]

EU Commission: Competition - 30/12/08

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT QUESTIONS SONYBMG APPROVALS
"The elected European Parliament has challenged the European Commission about it's speedy decision earlier this year to allow Sony Music to buy Bertelsmann out of the two companies' joint venture record company, SonyBMG, which put the second biggest music firm in the world into the ownership of one organisation, Sony Corp.

They also question the Commission's wider policy regarding allowing such big companies to be created in the music and cultural industries without safeguards to protect smaller independent firms - in essence questioning the approval of the SonyBMG merger in the first place." [CMUDaily]

Sony BMG Merger Still Under Scrutiny December 23, 2008
"The European Parliament continues to seek further scrutiny of the Sony BMG merger, although the major has since demerged and will officially be renamed Sony Music Entertainment in 2009. EC Commissioner for competition Neelie Kroes has six weeks to provide a written explanation regarding competition in the music market." [Billboard]

The standard of proof in EC merger control: the implications of the Sony BMG saga
"One of the most important developments in EC competition policy during 2006 was the Court of First Instance’s (CFI) Impala v. Commission judgment annulling the European Commission’s approval of the merger between the music units of Sony and Bertelsmann. It harshly criticized the Commission’s Decision because it found that the evidence relied on was not capable of substantiating the conclusion. This was the first time that a merger decision was annulled for not meeting the requisite legal standard for authorizing the merger. Consequently, the CFI raised fundamental questions about the standard of proof incumbent on the Commission in its merger review procedures. On July 10, 2008, the European Court of Justice overturned Impala, yet it did not resolve the fundamental question underlying the judicial review of the Sony BMG Decision; does the Commission have the necessary resources and expertise to meet the Community Court’s standard of proof? This paper addresses the wider implications of the Sony BMG saga for the Commission’s future handling of complex merger investigations. It argues that the Commission may have set itself an impossible precedent in the second approval of the merger. While the Commission has made a substantial attempt to meet the high standard of proof imposed by the Community Courts, it is doubtful that it will be able to jump the fence again in a similar fashion under normal procedural circumstances." [IES]

Pan-European Indie Label Group Attacks EC’s Decision to Allow Sony Corporation Buyout of Sony BMG (Because In Other Parts of the World, People Actually Freak Out When This Shit Happens)
"Thanks to the European Commission’s decision to let Sony Corporation gobble up Sony BMG, we’re one step closer to a multi-headed monster that will be known as Sony Music Entertainment Inc. The EC’s 2007 decision to allow the merger means that Sony Corporation of America is now free to acquire the 50% share held by Bertelsmann AG of Germany in Sony BMG. Yikes." [TinyMixTapes]

EU Commission Monitor - 05/12/08

Europe online: new media for a new age
Speech by Margot Wallström - Vice-President of the European Commission at Seminar on Online and Multimedia Communication in Madrid, 2nd December 2008 [Europa]

Trademark success
"One success story in the EU's intellectual property regime, the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market, based in Alicante, Spain, is highlighted in this special report. The office has just registered its 500,000th trademark and has recently lowered its fees, helped by a healthy financial balance sheet.

But if there is one glaring disappointment in the EU's set-up for intellectual property rights, it is the failure to agree a single Community patent. The Commission's work programme for 2009 says that “the lack of a cost-effective, single patent remains an obvious shortcoming of the single market”. Business groups have long called for a unified patent approvals procedure that would substantially lower costs for inventors and innovators, but still some national governments resist the idea. Nevertheless, the case for a simplified approvals and litigation regime remains compelling." [EuropeanVoice]

A successful EU organisation
"The Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market has approved more than 500,000 applications for EU-wide trademarks since it was created in 1996.

The Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) is not the best known of EU organisations but it is arguably one of the most successful. The office, which grants Community-wide trademarks, has just approved its 500,000th application. It finances itself entirely from the fees it charges for trademark registration and is expecting to generate a surplus of €65 million this year. It has already built up reserves of €350m, which have made it possible to cut the registration fee to less than €1,000, down from €1,700 since 2005 and €2,075 from 1996 when the office became operational." [EuropeanVoice]

EU Public Affairs Monitor - 28/11/08

Monopoly of collecting societies' activities: infringement proceedings against the Czech Republic and Hungary
"The European Commission has decided to send reasoned opinions to the Czech Republic and Hungary on the grounds of obstacles to the freedom of establishment and to the freedom to provide services as a result of the monopolies granted to national rights management companies.

Czech and Hungarian laws provide that a single collecting society may be authorised to operate in their respective countries for each type of right and work. This monopoly granted to national companies bans collecting societies set up in other Member States from undertaking any form of activity and denies them the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services. The Commission has doubts as to the justification of those national measures in the light of their negative effects on two of the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the EC Treaty." [Europa]

The latest information on infringement proceedings concerning all Member States is available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/community_law/index_en.htm

EMI Music CEO Applauds Govt Action On ISPs
"EMI Music CEO Elio Leoni-Sceti has spoken of his support for the U.K. government's and others' attempts to get ISPs to tackle illegal file-sharing, while admitting the music industry failed to adapt to changes in consumer behavior. Leoni-Sceti appeared at U.K. media/telecoms regulator Ofcom's Next Generation Net Generation conference in London. Vivendi chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy was also among the business leaders at the conference.

The EMI Music CEO appeared on a panel, "Global Content Economy - Challenges for Business," alongside executives including Telefonica Europe CEO Ronan Dunne, Nikesh Arora, president EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) operations, Google, and Roma Khanna, president, global networks & digital initiatives at NBC Universal. Pledging to transform EMI into a "consumer-focused music company," Leoni-Sceti commented: "The new EMI wants to be the most consumer-led, innovative music company in the world - that means listening to our consumers and putting the consumer experience at the heart of our business strategy."A consultation process was recently concluded by the U.K. government, following this summer's brokering of a Memorandum of Understanding between the music industry and ISPs. Part of the agreement includes a pledge by ISPs to write letters to customers who are involved in illegal peer-to-peer activity." [BillBoard] [CMUDaily]

Artists send video message to PM over copyright term
"More from the campaign to persuade Gordon Brown to increase the recorded music copyright term now - and this time the protests have been presented in video form. As much much previously reported, record labels and recording artists have been lobbying the government regarding extending the recording copyright from 50 to 95 years for ages now; the former because the legendary recordings of the rock n roll era are about to come out of copyright; the latter because there is a whole generation of session musicians who will soon start to lose the royalty payments that stem from recordings they worked on in the sixties, which for some are a bulk of their earnings. " [CMUDaily]

EURO LICENSING: THE HARD ROAD AHEAD
"There is no 'us' and 'them' any longer. With nearly 50% of all music consumed by Europeans classified as international repertoire and the rest considered to be essential local music preserving the cultural identities of each European Union (EU) nation, the troubled state of licensing digital publishing rights is not, as some said a few years back, 'a European problem.' After intervention by the European Commission (EC), the current structures for licensing these rights are seen by some to be as volatile as the financial markets. How everyone responds to the situation will inevitably impact the future of recorded music, music publishing, digital and mobile music services and broadcasting -- and everyone else in the creator-to-consumer chain of distribution. Considering the importance of intellectual property as a significant contributor to worldwide economies, figuring out solutions during this economic crisis, in the midst of the physical-to-digital music transition, becomes even more essential.

Music Confidential reached out to senior executives and lawyers throughout Europe to shed some light, and perhaps a bit of insight, on problems and possible solutions following the EC's mandate to restructure rights and operating procedures among the network of collecting societies. Despite an extraordinary amount of angst and concern among the interested parties, there are opportunities and some optimism to report." [MusicConfidential]

Conference calls on WIPO to Boost Support for Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights
"A conference on the future evolution of collective management of copyright and related rights in Europe has called on WIPO to step up efforts to help stakeholders address the emerging challenges facing collective management. Participants urged WIPO to strengthen the copyright infrastructure so as to support creative industries and promote social, economic and cultural development.

The Conference on Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights in Europe, held in Brussels from November 24 to 25, 2008, was organized by WIPO in association with the European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC) and in cooperation with the Association of European Performers’ Organisations (AEPO-ARTIS), and the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC)." [WIPO]

The European IP market needs a revolution
"The European R&D and patenting world treat intellectual property as a legal right and nothing else. Most companies and investors want that attitude to change. If it does, a number of exciting possibilities can begin to emerge.What Europe needs most is intermediaries from outside the law
A recent EPO survey revealed that 60% of European companies do not care if the inventions and technologies they find and use are patented or not (which surely helps explain the modest levels of patent registrations in many EU countries!). At the same time, however, countless European surveys have revealed that technological innovation is the priority for the EU's institutions, as well as national and regional governments, industrial associations and others; and that European companies are very keen to improve technological innovation (including R&D outsourcing) as key weapon in the global competition race.
These conflicting findings tell us a few key things about the type of IP market Europe should adopt, given that improving its existing one is an official target, as set out by EU leaders in the Lisbon Agreement."

The complete article (and the accompanying charts) in .pdf format is saved on the shared file (in the Monitoring section). A text version can be read on:
http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:3BkUjCSMfg8J:www.wipo.int/sme/en/best_practices/pdf/european_ip_market.pdf+WIPO+European+IP+Market+needs+a+revolution&hl=nl&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=be [WIPO]

EU Public Affairs Monitor - 28/11/08

Hadopi : Bruxelles critique la France et réclame des explications
"La Commission européenne vient d’adresser une longue liste d’observations à la France sur le projet de loi antipiratage, révèle ce matin la Tribune. Le texte Création et Internet avait été notifié à l'Europe le 22 juillet, et jusqu'au 23 octobre dernier, chaque État membre a pu émettre des commentaires conformément au droit européen qui impose pareille procédure quand un texte touche à la société de l’information. Dans cette synthèse, manque de chance pour la France, les doutes et questionnements sont nombreux." [PCInPact]

La Commission européenne critique le projet de loi création et Internet
"La Commission européenne apprécie modérément le projet de loi Création et Internet qui doit être voté début 2009 à l'Assemblée nationale. Dans une lettre rédigée il y a plus d'un mois, mais rendue publique seulement jeudi 27 novembre sur le site de La Tribune, la Commission européenne demande plusieurs modifications et explications au gouvernement français, pour rendre le texte conforme à la législation européenne. Certaines modifications réclamées par la Commission ont entre-temps été intégrées dans le projet de loi lors des débats au Sénat. Mais des points essentiels n'ont toujours pas été pris en compte." [LeMonde]

Loi antipiratage sur Internet: les observations de Bruxelles
La Commission européenne vient d'envoyer à Paris ses "observations" concernant le projet de loi de lutte contre le piratage sur Internet. La lettre critique de nombreux aspects du texte (notamment la coupure de l'accès Internet des pirates) et suggère plusieurs modifications. Bruxelles n'est guère enthousiaste concernant la loi française de lutte contre le piratge sur Internet. Voici en exclusivité les "observations" que la Commission européenne vient d'envoyer à Paris concernant le projet de loi. La lettre critique de nombreux aspects du texte (notamment la coupure de l'accès Internet des pirates) et suggère plusieurs modifications. [LaTribune]

Outlines of telecoms regulatory regime becomes clearer
“UK and Sweden accept compromise deal but flag up their “considerable concerns” relating to investment and the power of operators. EU telecoms ministers today agreed a fragile compromise on overhauling the EU's regulatory regime for the telecommunications sector, opening the way for negotiations to reach a final agreement with the European Parliament and the European Commission early next year.

The EU's current presidency, France, went into the meeting with a new compromise text, but encountered opposition from seven national delegations (the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy) on issues ranging from the right of the European Commission to veto remedies proposed by national regulators, stronger powers for a new body – the Group of European Regulators (GERT) – and rules on allocating radio spectrum.” [EuropeanVoice]

Commission slams France over internet law
“New French rules designed to protect intellectual property online are likely to fall foul of the European commission, Le Monde reports.
Media commissioner Viviane Reding has already warned Paris that moves to block internet access of those found guilty of breaching copyright would breach EU law – but French lawmakers have persisted in following this line, the paper notes.

In a letter to the French government, Reding said that blocking access was disproportionate because the internet was about so much more than downloads – and that essential services such as banking or tax declarations online would also suffer as a result.” [TheParliament]

National differences could scupper telecoms legislation
Note: this article was released last Friday, right after I sent the previous monitoring. I include it as I think it gives a good overview of what could have happened should an agreement not have been found yesterday.
“Parliament warns of cost of failure to agree; plans for independent national regulators resisted. Telecoms ministers are at loggerheads over future reform of industry regulation ahead of a crucial meeting next week.
If the ministers fail to reach agreement on 27 November the entire package of proposals could be held back until the end of next year.

With less than a week to go, there are still divisions among EU member states and between the Council of Ministers, the European Commission and the European Parliament. Leading MEPs who worked on agreeing the Parliament's position on the package have written to Luc Chatel, the French telecoms minister who will chair the ministers' meeting, warning that failure to reach agreement next week risks great uncertainty for the telecoms sector at a time of economic crisis.” [EuropeanVoice]

Telecommunications package: unanimous agreement of the 27 on the text
“Luc Chatel, the French Minister of State for Industry and Consumer Affairs, who presided over the Telecommunications Council in Brussels on Thursday 27 November, welcomed the political agreement reached on the Telecommunications Package. Eric Besson, the French Minister of State for Forward Planning, Assessment of Public Policies and Development of the Digital Economy, then presided over the next part of the Council on promoting the information society and the internet of the future.” [UE2008]

EU Commission Enterprise and Industry - 28/11/08

DG Entreprise & Industry: The second conference of the Europe INNOVA community focused on the current financial turmoil and how accelerating innovation would help the EU to weather the storm and prosper
"Some 550 delegates from 30 different countries arrived in Lyon for the second conference of the Europe INNOVA community. The three-day gathering proved to be as innovative as its participants, and creatively explored the main issues facing innovation policy and support in the EU. The participants discussed instruments for transforming and translating knowledge into successful business ideas and applications, as well as the most efficient ways of tackling access to finance, intellectual property rights (IPR) and providing support to fast-growing companies and clusters. A number of models and tools developed by Europe INNOVA networks to accelerate the commercialisation of new ideas and in support of innovative companies were also showcased. How innovation can be marshalled to pull Europe out of the emerging economic turmoil was also high on the agenda – and on participants’ minds." [Europa]

DG Entreprise & Industry: Towards the next generation of Europe INNOVA: New call for proposals published
"The call for proposals for the next generation of Europe INNOVA projects was published on 12 November 2008. The call concerns the setting-up of Innovation Platforms for transnational cluster cooperation, knowledge-intensive services, eco-innovation and the promotion of novel tools and service concepts for innovation support.

The calls documents can be downloaded from:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/funding/files/themes_2008/calls_prop.htm, where any updates will also be published. The deadline for submission of proposals is 12 February 2009.

A partner search tool is available on:
http://www.proinno-europe.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=434&parentID=0.

In parallel with this call for proposals, a call for proposals under the PRO INNO Europe® Initiative has also been published. An information day is planned for 17 December 2008 in Brussels on the Europe INNOVA (morning session) and PRO INNO Europe® (afternoon session) calls for proposals. Please be aware that you must pre-register for the information day by filling in the registration form available with the call documents. [EuropeInnova]

EU Commission Education and Training Culture and Youth - 28/11/08

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT): Commission welcomes launch of discussions on shape of Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs)
The first seminar on the format of, and selection criteria for, the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), is held today in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. The KICs will be the operational parts of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The Commission welcomes this seminar, which the EIT Governing Board is using to start a dialogue with interested parties to establish a common vision for the KICs.

At the event, Ján Figel', the European Commissioner for Education and Training, Culture and Youth, said “The EIT is a unique, new structure that will bring together the worlds of education, research and business innovation. What a challenge! The key to its success will be how the Knowledge and Innovation Communities, the "KICs" as we call them, will function. This is why I very much welcome the initiative of the EIT Governing Board to actively engage in an exchange of ideas with interested parties on how the future KICs will be established, about the format of future KICs and how the three axes – education, research, innovation – should work together.” [Europa]

EU Commission Telecommunications - 28/11/08

27/11: Telecoms Council: Commission sees improved Council position on the EU Telecoms Reform as good basis for negotiations with the European Parliament
"Telecoms Council: Commission sees improved Council position on the EU Telecoms Reform as good basis for negotiations with the European Parliament

Following the Telecoms Council's deliberations this morning, Viviane Reding, the EU Telecoms Commissioner, commented on the Council's results for the EU Telecoms Reform as follows: "There was a constructive crisis this morning at the Council meeting, as several delegations felt that the Council text agreed so far was not ambitious enough. I applaud Secretary of State Luc Chatel for having resolved this crisis with skill and a pro-European intention. The new text now agreed by Ministers is an improvement compared with the initial text of this morning, even though I continue to believe that Europe's telecoms sector requires better rules than those now on the table here. Nevertheless, the new Council text is a basis now for the negotiations between Council and the European Parliament, which co-decides on the EU-Telecoms Reform. However, if we want to reach an agreement under this Parliament, all three institutions – Parliament, Council and Commission – must sit down together without delay and get down to work on a common approach. Europe has no time to lose: our operators need a single market for telecoms; our rich spectrum resources need to be managed more effectively in the interests of our economy and the goal of 'broadband for all' – especially in these difficult economic times; and European consumers should have a clear bill of rights. I therefore ask the French Presidency to call a meeting of the three institutions early in December. Only this can pave the way for a second reading agreement in spring 2009."" [Europa]

EU Commission Monitor - 28/11/08

Ombudsman investigates Commission's Early Warning System
The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has opened an investigation into the European Commission's "Early Warning System" (EWS). This computerised information system lists companies, NGOs, associations or other parties which, according to the Commission, are deemed to pose a threat to the financial interests of the European Union. All EU institutions and bodies may block or suspend contracts or payments to entities listed under certain EWS warning levels.

Currently, participants in EU projects or applicants are not systematically informed if they are included in the EWS. It is also unclear how stakeholders can appeal against such a listing. Mr Diamandouros has said: "It is undoubtedly very important that the Commission should make every effort to protect the EU's financial interests. However, companies, NGOs, and other associations must also be treated fairly and with due respect to the fundamental legal principle of the presumption of innocence."

The Ombudsman has asked the Commission to respond by 28 February 2009. [Europa]

EU Public Affairs Monitor - 21/11/08

Committee on Culture
"1. Presentation of the outcomes of the French Presidency on 2nd December: The French ministers will present the achievements of the French Presidency of the Council in the fields for which the Committee is responsible. The ministers' presentations will be followed by question and answer sessions with MEPs.

2. Term of protection of copyright and related rights: the draft opinion stresses the importance of implementing measures to ensure fair and consistent remuneration of performers. It will be adopted in Committee on 2 December. The draftsman is Christopher HEATON-HARRIS (EPP-ED, GB)"

A better return for our money: The EU wants the EIB to play a role in its response to the economic crisis – but it must make sure the EIB meets its existing responsibilities better
"The European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU's publicity-shy house bank, has shot to prominence in recent weeks as the global economic crisis has deepened. Nationally and collectively, EU leaders have scrambled to boost lending to small businesses that are being hit by the credit crunch. José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, has talked up the role the EIB could play in responding to the crisis; Günter Verheugen, the industry commissioner, wants the EIB to offer a €40 billion soft-loan package to the European car industry; and the UK's finance minister, Alistair Darling, has been pushing UK banks to make the most of the EIB's increased loans facility for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)." [EuropeanVoice]

U.K. Music Backs Government Proposal On ISPs
"U.K. Music, the recently formed umbrella organization encompassing the major British music-industry groups, has declared its support for a co-regulatory system between ISPS, the music industry and a government-appointed body to ensure ISPs tackle illegal P2P file-sharing.

In its contribution to the consultation process set up by the U.K. government's Department for Business Enterprises and Regulatory Reform (BERR), U.K. Music says a government-approved independent adjudicator is required to oversee a co-regulatory system covering ISPs and digital piracy. "In view of the historic differences between rights holders and ISPs, some form of regulatory control is required," U.K. Music says in its documents. The organization agrees with the government that media and telecommunications regulator Ofcom is the appropriate body." [Billboard]

UK Music call for online copyright regulator
"Cross-industry trade body UK Music has told the government that it supports proposals for a regulator to oversee copyright issues on the internet. In a submission to a government consultation on the issue of music and the net, UK Music say that, "in view of the historic differences between rights holders and ISPs, some form of regulatory control is required".
As much previously reported, some progress has been made this year regarding the long running dispute between the music industry and the internet service providers, in which the former said the latter had a duty to play a more proactive role in combating online piracy. " [CMUDaily]

Term extension petition launched at PPL APM
"'Performer members' of recordings royalty collecting society PPL (ie recording artists and musicians) have put their names to the latest petition calling on the government to extend the recorded music copyright term.
As much much much previously reported, in Europe the copyright term for recordings is fifty years, whereas the term enjoyed by songwriters (and writers and photographers etc) is life plus seventy years." [CMUDaily]

PPL performer members sign letter to the Prime Minister as UK government continues in its failure to give musicians copyright parity with other creators
"Performer members who attended PPL's second Annual Performer Meeting (APM), which took place at Abbey Road Studios on Monday (17th), were moved to sign a letter to the Prime Minister asking him for Fair Play For Musicians.

This important initiative has been made necessary due to the intransigence of the UK government in their failure to support copyright term extension which would put musicians on parity with other creators (authors, composers, painters, photographers amongst many) and which is being both recognised and supported by the European Commission and governments around Europe." [RecordOfTheDay]

Member States Review Key Copyright Issues
WIPO member states meeting under the auspices of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights met from November 3 to 7 November 2008 to review a number of key copyright issues. Under the chairmanship of Mr. Jukka Liedes of Finland, the SCCR examined the current state of play WIPO’s work on limitations and exceptions, the protection of audiovisual performances and the protection of broadcasting organizations. Discussions also featured the question of access to copyright-protected content by visually impaired persons. [WIPO]

EU Commission Monitor - 21/11/08

Now Online: "Europeana", Europe's Digital Library
"Europeana, Europe’s multimedia online library opens to the public today. At www.europeana.eu, Internet users around the world can now access more than two million books, maps, recordings, photographs, archival documents, paintings and films from national libraries and cultural institutions of the EU's 27 Member States. Europeana opens up new ways of exploring Europe’s heritage: anyone interested in literature, art, science, politics, history, architecture, music or cinema will have free and fast access to Europe's greatest collections and masterpieces in a single virtual library through a web portal available in all EU languages. But this is just the beginning. In 2010, Europeana will give access to millions of items representing Europe's rich cultural diversity and will have interactive zones such as communities for special interests. Between 2009 and 2011, some €2 million per year of EU funding will be dedicated to this. The Commission also plans to involve the private sector in the further expansion of Europe's digital library. In September 2007, the European Parliament supported, in a resolution voted by an overwhelming majority, the creation of a European digital library." [Europa]

Education, Youth and Culture Council (EYC), Brussels, 20-21 November 2008
"This Memo provides a brief overview, from the Commission's point of view, of the issues that were discussed at the "Education, Youth and Culture" Council on 20-21 November in Brussels." [Europa]

EU competition rules – part of the solution for Europe's economy
"Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for Competition Policy Speech at European Competition Day, Paris, 18th November 2008." [Europa]

EU Commission Monitor - 14/11/08

Intercultural Dialogue: a Challenge for faiths and convictions?
"Religious beliefs, philosophies and convictions are an integral part of cultural diversity which, through dialogue, can enrich our societies and contribute to individual fulfilment. But in our increasingly diverse cultural environments, the broad spectrum of faiths, beliefs and convictions can lead to misconceptions and fears. In the worst cases, people suffer the consequences of others' prejudice in the form of discrimination due to their conviction or religious belief.
Around 100 participants attended a conference organised today (read: 11th November) by the European Commission in the framework of the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, and as a follow-up to the 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. Three working sessions focused on challenges for education, the media, and dialogue between faiths and convictions. " [Dialogue]

EU Commission Enterprise and Industry - 07/11/08

Introducing innovation: Eight years after the Lisbon Agenda was launched, the EU is still behind on innovation.
"The difficulties faced by European companies trying to create innovative products and services and launch them successfully on the markets prompted EU leaders to adopt the Lisbon Agenda in 2000. Eight years on and, despite the agenda's aim of making Europe the world's most competitive knowledge-based economy, the EU still suffers from an ‘innovation gap' compared to its main rivals. So what is standing in the way of Europe doing better and will it improve?
The European Commission's latest annual assessment of the EU's innovation performance paints a dispiriting picture. Measuring such variables as participation in tertiary education, availability of early-stage venture capital, patents and hi-tech exports, it finds that overall Europe is lagging behind the US and Japan. Following reports in 2005 and 2006 which seemed to show a significant improvement, the 2007 report found only “very modest” reductions in the innovation gap." [EuropeanVoice]

EU Commission: Information and Society 07/11/08

2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue: Brussels Debate on the role of the Media
The last of the seven "Brussels Debates" organised in the framework of the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue took place on Wednesday, 5 November 2008. The debate entitled "Talking Our Way out of Trouble: How Media Debate Can Combat Intolerance” was organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). It took place in the Residence Palace and was opened by EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, Viviane Reding. [InterculturalDialogue]

EU Commission Monitor - 07/11/08

Acting now for a better Europe: Commission brings forward its 2009 work programme
The European Commission has adopted today its 2009 Legislative and Work Programme which announces the main initiatives it intends to present next year. In 2009, the Commission will follow up on the initiatives launched in recent weeks to address the financial crisis and to set out a European framework to address the economic downturn. At the same time, the Commission will use the final year of its mandate to complete the work already under way. [Europa]