5-years after the transposition deadline, the European Commission has concluded that the application of the Collective Rights Management Directive has had a positive effect on rightsholders and the licensing market. Therefore, there is no need for a review, said the Commission.

CharactHer, a new campaign by the European Commission, features inspiring women professionals and puts a spotlight on gender equality in the male dominated film and media sectors. A recent report by the European Audiovisual Observatory identifies 3 challenges: difficulties in measuring progress on on-screen representation, the complexity of collecting data on diversity, and the need for intersectional approaches.

Voices of Culture call on the EU to adopt a holistic approach to determining the social and economic status of artists and cultural workers. The SAA has been part of developing its recommendations addressing fair pay, flattening income variations, collective bargaining, intellectual property rights and grants.

The pandemic crisis is best described as unpredictable. Its waves of COVID-19 infections left us insecure about the future. However, following the roll-out of vaccination, we can finally start to plan ahead. On the EU level, institutions are working on initiatives that could contribute to a more hopeful future for the cultural and creative sectors.

We, European authors, producers and distributors, welcome the adoption of the legal basis of the Europe Creative programme by the European Parliament, and the support provided to European creation. We are looking forward to the start of the calls for the Media Programme as soon as possible. However, the Work Programme for 2021 prepared by the European Commission includes concerns for the documentary sector which must be changed urgently.

The SAA have co-signed a letter by more than 110 pan-European networks, coordinated by Culture Action Europe. Today it has been sent to the Member States and the European Commission to secure a future for culture and cultural life in Europe.

In recent years, there has been an important increase on the use of AI in the audiovisual and media sectors. This raises key questions on authorship and creativity.

Of the total employment in EU27, 3,7% (7,3 million) people work in the cultural sectors and one third are self-employed (Eurostat 2019). COVID-19 has worsened their already precarious situation and left many without any regular income and difficulties to prove their eligibility for any possible financial support mainly designed for employees or businesses.

Dear President von der Leyen, Vice-President Schinas, Commissioners Hahn, Gabriel, Breton,

Some of the world’s biggest consumer device manufacturers are aggressively targeting the Visegrad Four countries in an effort to weaken national legislation or application of the existing legal framework on private copying.

SAA contribution to the consultation of the European Commission on Article 17: Supporting licensing agreements between CMOs and OCSSPs