The European Parliament adopts the Directive on collective rights management

Commissioner Michel Barnier welcomes the European Parliament vote on the Directive on collective rights management: "I congratulate the European Parliament on having today adopted the new Directive on collective rights management and multi-territorial licensing of musical works for online use.

This Directive is a cornerstone of the digital single market. It will facilitate the entry of smaller innovative suppliers on the European market. It will also contribute to wider availability and better choice of offers of online music in Europe. The Directive will modernise the functioning of collective management organisations (also referred to as ‘collecting societies’) which manage copyright and related rights on behalf of rightholders, such as authors or performers, across Europe.

It will strengthen and improve the governance and transparency of these organisations. It will, for example, give rightholders the possibility to be more involved in the decision-making processes of their collective management organisations, set out minimum requirements relating to the governance structure of collective management organisations and ensure timely and accurate payments of royalties to rightholders. In addition, the new rules will foster and improve multi-territorial licensing by collective management organisations for online music services (such as music download services or streaming services). Going forward, it will be easier for those services to cover a multitude of territories and a large catalogue of music, which in turn will increase the offer available in the EU.

Today’s vote reflects the efficient and constructive inter-institutional work that has been done on this file. I am convinced the Council will approve the adoption of the Directive in the coming weeks. I am very satisfied with the results obtained. I would like to pay tribute to the work of the rapporteur, Marielle GALLO, and the shadow rapporteurs. Their commitment and spirit of compromise have resulted in a text which will benefit citizens and rightholders (authors, producers or performers, their representative organisations, as well as service providers offering innovative services online)."

Lees het persbericht hier.