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The ONE VOICE FOR EUROPEAN MUSIC platform, a pan-european sectoral initiative bringing together a wide range of music organisations (labels, concert venues, collecting societies, export offices, publishers, instrument manufacturers etc.), made public an 8-page POLICY DOCUMENT encouraging the European Commission and the Council of the EU to substantially develop the support and policy instruments available for the music sector at EU level.

The document was drafted by a representative group of 22 Belgian organisations under the leadership of Wallonie Bruxelles Musiques and VI.BE (the main public associations supporting the music sector in the country) and delivered to policymakers in the context of the Belgian Presidency of the EU. 19 EU-level federations, associations and trade bodies have brought their support to the policy paper prepared at Belgian level, for a total of 41 signatory bodies.

Among other key points listed in the document, the ONE VOICE FOR EUROPEAN MUSIC platform asks the EU institutions to create a “european music observatory”, to develop a “european music export strategy”, and to substantially increase the level of financial support for music projects across the EU.

The policy paper also calls on the EU to consider the needs of the music sector in implementing the newly agreed AI Act, to build solutions for grassroots venues and festivals, to design balanced solutions regarding the remuneration of authors and creators and help accelerate the sector’s green transition.

The recommendations developed by the coalition largely echo two recent resolutions voted by the European Parliament, on the topics of music streaming and working conditions of artists.

Corinne Sadki, President of European Music Exports Exchange (member of ONE VOICE FOR EUROPEAN MUSIC), said : “We believe that these recommendations, supported by a very wide consensus in the european music sector, are balanced, reasonable and easily actionable. They can help unlock the potential of european music on the world stage and help create a much-needed soft-power momentum for the EU”.

The ONE VOICE FOR EUROPEAN MUSIC initiative was launched by the French Centre National de la Musique in 2021 to find common policy positions within the european music sector. During each rotating presidency of the EU, the initiative is led by a representative panel of national organisations tasked with creating the groundwork for a set of recommendations which can be endorsed at EU level. Its first policy report was delivered during the French presidency of the EU.

The policy paper urges the European institutions to “claim ownership of these recommendations and make them a reality”. The document was released on May 9^th to celebrate Europe Day.

With only two months to go before the European elections, artists and labels from across Europe are joining forces again and calling on the European Commission to come forward with a clear proposal to address the consequences of the EU “RAAP” case regarding terrestrial broadcast and public performance rights.

In the RAAP judgment of 2020, the Court of Justice of the EU indicated that the Directive dealing with the public performance rights of music performers and producers could be amended to confirm the longstanding principle of reciprocity deriving from the international copyright treaties.

This approach would maintain EU trade pressure and stop the annual transfer of 125m Euros away from the European music sector to the USA and other countries which do not provide these basic protections in their national copyright law. This can be done in a proportionate way with a harmonised framework which also accommodates countries that currently apply another system.

The European Commission has said that it recognised the problem and the music sector, EU governments and members of the European parliament have on many occasions flagged the need to address this urgently. A clear sign is needed that this is going to happen before the end of the current European Commission’s mandate, almost four years after the ruling has been delivered.

Helen Smith, Executive Chair of IMPALA (European association of independent music companies), said: “With the end of the current EU legislature now just weeks away, we want to remind decision makers to “get their house in order”. Responsibility for this lies with the current commission, not the next. If we can get results on AI, we can do it on RAAP. A proposal is needed now to restore legal certainty and prevent European artists and producers losing more than €1bn over the next decade to the USA, which has chosen not to protect these rights”.

MEP Tomasz Frankowski, European Parliament, commented: “The European Commission is responsible for addressing this situation within a reasonable timeframe. Together with several of my colleagues, we have been keeping a close eye on the process and have asked the Commission on several occasions how they planned to address this. Concerns have been acknowledged but now is the time for action. We owe this to our artists and music SMEs”.

Will Maas, Chairman Ntb/Kunstenbond (Dutch musicians’ union) continued: “If nothing is done soon, revenues going to European artists will continue to drop significantly, to the point where many will no longer be able to make a living from their music. Action is needed now, this is a no-brainer, doing nothing is like shooting ourselves in the foot when the EU should be doing everything it can to guarantee its sovereignty and safeguard cultural diversity”.

Helen Smith concluded: “There is a growing body of legal opinions coming from different parts of Europe confirming that the legislation can be clarified in a proportionate way that would promote harmonisation while taking into account the diversity of national approaches, as with other points of copyright. European artists and producers are asking for this, European governments are asking for this, the European Parliament is asking for this, now it is time for the European Commission to come forward with a balanced solution. Alongside this, we also ask the EC to prioritise trade pressure on the USA to introduce these basic protections in their domestic legislation”.

Today’s call from European artists and independent labels comes ahead of two important milestones on the EU’s copyright agenda: the next meeting of the Council of the EU’s working party on copyright, taking place on 10th April in Brussels, where the RAAP case will be discussed, and the next meeting of EU Culture Ministers on 13th May. Our call also coincides with the Belgian EU Presidency Copyright Conference, taking place 8-9th April in Namur, focused on the remuneration of authors and performers in the creative industries.

Signatories 

• Adami – French collective management organisation for performers’ rights
• Creo – Norwegian union for arts and culture
• Dansk Artist Forbund – Danish Artist Union
• Dansk Musiker Forbund – Danish Musicians Union
• De Muziekgilde – Association of musicians and producing DJ’s residing in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium
• FACIR – Belgian Federation of authors, composers and performers
• IMPALA – European association of independent music companies
• Musikerförbundet – Swedish Musicians’ Union
• Ntb/Kunstenbond – Dutch Musicians’ Union
• PlayRight – Belgian collective management society of neighbouring rights for performing artists
• SAMI – Swedish Artists’ and Musicians’ Interest Organisation
• SYMF – Swedish Union of Professional Musicians
• unisono – German Federation of Musicians