"At a time when France has just begun its six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union, we, European screenwriters and directors, wish to share with you our expectations and hopes for the advancement of authors' rights, the promotion of the right to proportional remuneration for creators and its contribution to the dynamism of creation."

Recommendations to the EU and Member States

The SAA highlights the specific conditions and difficulties that young and aspiring European directors and screenwriters face in the 21st century of moving images and puts forward 5 ways to support next generation audiovisual authors.

Although most Member States’ delayed transposition of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, Cécile Despringre, Executive Director of the SAA, has been invited as a guest speaker at several occasions to present the state of play of the implementation of the Copyright directive’s – Article 18 – on fair and proportionate remuneration and its impact on audiovisual authors’ remuneration. 

On 19 October, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU prepared by MEP Monica SEMEDO for the Culture committee. The SAA welcomes this important resolution that calls for minimum social standards for artists and cultural workers and shows that the EU can do more to guarantee fair and proportionate remuneration for authors.

“Nothing about us, without us” is a slogan used by marginalised groups to say that no policies should be decided without the representation of the groups affected by them. The idea that people should be at the centre of policymaking may seem obvious for some but in the audiovisual sector, the interest of large streaming platforms often comes before - and at the expenses of - individual authors’ rights to their works.

Screenwriters and directors from around the world share their experiences and call for action on royalties

Lights and action on authors' royalties - an event with audiovisual creators and legal experts

You may know that on 1 July, Slovenia took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU. However, did you know that Slovenia is the home of 90,000 beekeepers, the oldest known musical instrument (a 60,000 years old ‘Neanderthal Flute’) and AIPA, the collective management organisation of authors, performers, and producers of audiovisual works of Slovenia.

Be bold, look at the success stories of statutory rights to remuneration to ensure fair remuneration to audiovisual authors, was the message of three legal experts at SAA’s seminar to national legislators ahead of today’s deadline to implement the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market.

Experts' top advice on fair remuneration for screenwriters and directors: implementing Article 18 of the EU Copyright Directive

7 June 2021 is the last day to implement the directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market into national law, but few EU Member States will meet the deadline. EU countries have the opportunity to carefully, while still urgently, implement the directive and present a recovery plan to actively support the creative and cultural sector. In return, the sector will be able to nurture European’s wellbeing and recovery.