News

Whilst asking the European Institutions not to waste time before programming a new discussion on the proposed Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive, press publishers would like to note that Google has intensified its scaremongering about the possible impact of a new neighbouring right for press publishers.

With Google still shouting from the rooftops that it will cut news publishers off at the knees if an EU Publisher’s neighbouring right is adopted, one should not be surprised that Google is ramping up its opposition to it when their very business model is based on free and unfettered re-use of publishers’ and others’ valuable content whilst dictating the terms and conditions. They have made no secret of their opposition to this right that simply provides publishers with their own legal standing through an exclusive right to negotiate with those who wish to re-use their content either individually, or collectively. EU talks on the final text of the draft law (Article 11) are nearing conclusion with two further EU meetings this week alone.

With Google still shouting from the rooftops that it will cut news publishers off at the knees if an EU Publisher’s neighbouring right is adopted, one should not be surprised that Google is ramping up its opposition to it when their very business model is based on free and unfettered re-use of publishers’ and others’ valuable content whilst dictating the terms and conditions.

EMMA and ENPA welcome the mobilisation of newspapers across Europe in the context of the ongoing EU copyright reform which would grant press publishers with an exclusive right.

On behalf of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union), EFJ (the European Federation of Journalists), EMMA (European Magazine Media Association), ENPA (the European Newspaper Association) and NME (News Media Europe), we would like to strongly encourage the Members of the European Parliament and the Council representatives to ensure that the proposed directive on the protection of whistleblowers, which is currently being negotiated in both institutions, guarantees a robust protection for persons choosing to turn to the media to report unlawful or wrongful acts.

European press publishers across Europe applaud the outcome of today’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin), which saw the adoption of the proposal to amend the existing EU VAT directive in order to allow Member States to align their digital VAT rates to their print rates.

The European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA) and the European Magazine Media Association (EMMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ilias Konteas as joint Executive Director of the two associations, who is assuming the position as of today, 1st October 2018.

Europe’s press publishers applaud the historic adoption by the European Parliament of the copyright draft directive.

Ahead of the copyright vote in Plenary scheduled for 12 September, the EFJ (European Federation of Journalists), the IFJ (International Federation of Journalists), EMMA (European Magazine Media Association), ENPA (European Newspaper Publishers’ Association), EPC (European Publishers Council), NME (News Media Europe) – together representing the interests of tens of thousands of European news brands and journalists – jointly call on MEPs to maintain the wording on the publishers’ right (Article 11) as put forward by the Legal Affairs Committee. 

Today in Strasbourg, MEPs voted to obstruct a crucial EU Copyright Reform from progressing to the final legislative stage, succumbing to an intense lobby of manipulative anti-copyright campaigners, US internet giants and vested interests who benefit from stealing and monetising publishers’ valuable content.

Ardent anti-copyright radicals, US Internet giants and vested interests, that commercially benefit from freeriding on publishers’ valuable content, continue to wage a loud and misleading campaign against a proposed EU copyright reform that is working its way through the EU legislative process. 

Today, Europe’s news and magazine publishers EMMA, ENPA, EPC and NME applaud the European Parliament for making a crucial stand for the future of a free, independent press, for the future of professional journalism, for the future of fact-checked content, for the future of a rich, diverse and open Internet and, ultimately, for the future of a healthy democracy.

EMMA and ENPA have cosigned a statement with a wide industry coalition to raise awareness on the open issues on ePrivacy ahead of the TTE Council meeting taking place on 8th June. 

In the coming weeks, the European Parliament will vote on the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. We would like to draw your attention to a topic that is crucial for all newspapers and magazines, small mid-size and big, but especially local and regional titles across the European Union: the proposed neighbouring right for press publishers, introduced in Article 11 of the Commission’s proposal, as there have been misleading claims that the right would be harmful for smaller publishers.

The European Magazine Media Association (EMMA), the European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA), the European Publishers’ Council (EPC) and News Media Europe (NME) welcome the fact that the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Council called for the introduction of an exclusive right for press publishers in EU copyright law today. 

A conference on press freedom took place on the fringes of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia in Bulgaria which gathered journalists, media organisations, publishers, NGOs and members of the European parliament. Participants warned of the waning strength and independence of European media and the consequent threat to democracy. 21 years after the UNESCO Sofia Declaration for a free and pluralistic media, they published the ‘Sofia Declaration’, urging the EU to prioritise media freedom in Europe.

EMMA and ENPA in association with EFJ, RSF, AEJ, ECPMF, SEEMO and the UPB, held a conference on “Media Freedom and Pluralism” on Wednesday, 16 May, in Sofia, in the wings of the EU-Western Balkans summit.

On May 16, 2018 a Press Freedom Conference – organized by the Union of Publishers in Bulgaria (UPB) in association with EMMA/ENPA, European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), in partnership with Reporters Without Borders, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Association of European Journalists (AEJ), South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) – will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria.    

Guaranteeing the legal protection of investment in quality journalism is long overdue.

ENPA, the European Newspaper Publishers’ Association and EMMA, the European magazine Media Association representing thousands of European Press publishers on European level are deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his partner Martina Kusnirova and extends condolences to their family friends and colleagues.