EU Commission Internal Market - 15/12/08

Speech by Commissioner McCreevy at Creators Conference organised by UK Music
11 December 2008
"Ladies and Gentlemen, It is well known that there is no place I like better than to be among innovators, entrepreneurs and business people. I usually address people involved in the more main stream industries – manufacturers of goods and suppliers of services. And while the entertainment business is far more glamorous than manufacturing widgets, at the end of the day it's all about making a living and being paid for your creativity and innovation. So it is a great pleasure for me to be here this morning to speak to such an illustrious group of artists and creators. And I would like to take this opportunity to explain why I, the Commissioner for the Internal Market – usually associated with big banks and other large financial industries – launched a proposal to obtain 'a better deal for performers'.

First and foremost, I consider copyright and the music industry to be just as important as any other part of my portfolio – not only in terms of the economic and cultural benefits it brings to the European Union, but perhaps even more importantly because of the entertainment and feel good factor music brings to our daily lives." [Europa]

McCreevy tells industry to sort out performer fund
"The success of copyright term extension could hinge on how quickly the industry agrees to divvy up the performer fund proposed by Charlie McCreevy in his Directive. The EC Internal Market commissioner, who proposed extending copyright from 50 to 95 years, in February also proposed a fund should be set aside for session musicians.

In the proposal he said that the performers would get 20% of gross revenue generated in the extended term. However, various sectors of the industry are also keen that featured artists benefit from the fund and there have been talks between the BPI, Musicians’ Union and Music Managers Forum to resolve this issue." [MusicWeek]

EU Commission: Internal Market - 17/10/08

Charlie McCreevy, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, “Protecting innovation in Europe”, Conference on Industrial Property Rights in Strasbourg, 16 October 2008
Full speech [Europa]

EU Commission - Internal Market : 30/09/08

Comment by the Max-Plank Institute on the Commission's Proposal for a Directive to Amend Directive 2006/116 EC of the European Parliament and Council Concerning the Term of Protection for Copyright and Related Rights

"The ostensible aim of the Commission's proposal to improve the economic situation of performing artists makes sense. Similarly, the descriptions of certain deficiencies in the music trade are true. However, the measures proposed by the Commission to remedy these problems - mainly a prolongation of the term of performance rights from 50 to 95 years - will, if at all, only bring marginal benefits to performing artists. In fact, the Commission also rightly recognizes that the problem of performing artists lies primarily in their lack of bargaining power as against the sound recording producers. However, it does not draw the obvious consequence that performers should be put in a better position by means of binding contractual provisions.

Nor can any objection be raised to the Commission's description of the challenges faced by the sound recording industry by new - illegal - ways of using performances on the Internet. However, no mention is made of a number of conceivable specific options. Instead, the Commission also limited its considerations on the producers' situation to the said prolongation of the period of protection, although there is no objective relationship whatsoever between the duration of the performance rights and the user behaviour objected to." [SSRN]

EU Commission Monitor - 30/09/08

EU Commissioner wants to ease SMEs' red tape burden: Keeping the credit crunch wolves at bay 30/09/08
"The European Union yesterday called on Member States to participate in a major review of the accounting directives for small biz firms to help reduce the administrative burden on SMEs. Charlie McCreevy, who is the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, said that during this “difficult period” of ongoing economic doom and gloom the small biz world, which many tech multinationals have increasingly punted their goods at in recent years, could be easily overlooked." [TheRegister]

EU bids to dominate future nebulous buzzword: 'We don't know what Web 3.0 is, but we must have it' 29/09/08
"The European Commission has called out for help on how it can "put Europe into the lead of the transition to Web 3.0". It doesn't seem sure what web 3.0 is or could be in the future - it just knows it wants it. To that end, it's today launched a public consultation inviting opinions on this forthcoming "next wave of the Information Revolution."" [TheRegister]

EU Commission: Internal Market - 05/09/08

"Think Small First": A Small Business Act for Europe
Most jobs in the EU are provided for by Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), companies of 250 employees or less. They have a crucial importance for the future development, but very often face enormous bureaucratic hurdles and obstacles. European SMEs deserve to be better assisted to fully unlock their potential of long term sustainable growth and of more job creation. To achieve this goal, the European Commission has unveiled today the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA), based on ten guiding principles and proposes policy actions to be undertaken by both the Commission and Member States. [Europa]

McCreevy announces major initiatives on accounting rules for small businesses
Charlie McCreevy, Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services has announced [as dated] a Member State option to exempt micro entities and a review of the Accounting Directives for small businesses. [Europa]

Preparation of the Competitiveness Council of Ministers, Brussels, 25/26 September 2008
The EU Competitiveness Council will meet in Brussels on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 September under the chairmanship of Luc Chatel, Secretary of State for consumption and industry European Affairs and Hervé Novelli, the French Minister of State for Trade, Craft Trades, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Tourism and Services. On Friday 26 September, the Space Council, a joint meeting of the Competitiveness Council and the European Space Agency (ESA) Ministerial Council, will be chaired jointly by Valérie Pécresse and Maria Van Der Hoeven, the Dutch Minister for the Economy and President-in-office of the ESA Council. Valérie Pécresse, the French Minister for Higher Education and Research, will chair a meeting of the European research ministers on 26 September. The European Commission will be represented by, Vice President Gunter Verheugen, responsible for Enterprise and Industry, Commissioner Charlie McCreevy responsible for the Internal Market and Services, Commissioner Janez Potocnik for Science and Research. [Europa]

EU Commission: Internal Market - 30/05/08

EU Internal Market Chief: Counterfeiting and Piracy Need Industry-Led Solutions
"The European Commission wants practical, pragmatic suggestions for fighting the “modern-day highway robbery” known as piracy and counterfeiting, Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said at a 13 May commission-sponsored high level conference on the issues.

McCreevy stressed that more regulation is not the answer, and that solutions lie with public-private cooperation. He called on industry to lead the battle against fakes, and on internet service providers (ISPs) to solve the problem of illegal downloads. But he also outlined planned expansion of anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy efforts within the Commission." [IPWatch]

European Commission Proposes Forum On Future Of Copying Levies
"The European Commission has recommended that a forum involving creative artists and the consumer industry should be established to determine the future of private copying levies.

Twenty-one of the European Union’s 27 countries impose oft-criticised surcharges on equipment - ranging from blank cassettes to MP3 players and mobile phones - that may be used for recording or copying images or sound. While such levies are officially designed to compensate musicians or authors for the use of their work, they have attracted much criticism for allegedly being imposed in an arbitrary manner and for hampering cross-border trade within the EU." [IPWatch]