Current status: BEFORE PLENARY

  • ProposalThe European Commission proposes a legal initiativeSeptember 2016
  • Committee positionThe relevant committee of the Parliament finds a positionJune 20, 2018
  • Plenary confirmationThe entire Parliament approves the committee position or re-opens it for debateJuly 5, 2018
  • TrilogueClosed-door compromise negotiations between Parliament, Council and the Commissionfuture
  • Plenary voteThe entire Parliament passes the end resultfuture
Full title:
Copyright in the Digital Single Market
Official info pages:
Eur-Lex · Parliament · Commission
Type:
Directive (will be implemented into national law by Member States)
EP Committee:
Legal Affairs (JURI)
EP Rapporteur:
MEP Axel Voss (replacing Therese Comodini Cachia since summer 2017) (EPP, Germany)
My role:
Shadow rapporteur for the Greens/EFA group

3 minute summary

  • A proposal to reform EU copyright was presented by Günther Oettinger shortly before leaving his post as Digital Commissioner.
  • The proposals seek to limit our ability to actively participate online to benefit the business models of media conglomerates: “Censorship machines” for internet platforms, a “link tax” for news content and a very narrow exception for text and data mining would curtail how we can share links, upload media and work with data.
  • EU member state governments approved the plans (with slight changes) in the Council. Only the Parliament can stop them now.
  • The Legal Affairs Committee narrowly approved the plans (with slight changes).
  • Next, the entire Parliament will vote on July 5, 2018 whether to rubber-stamp the committee’s result. If it doesn’t, the debate is re-opened, and there is one more chance to make changes to the proposals at the next plenary meeting in September.
  • After closed-door compromise negotiations between the institutions, the Parliament will have to approve the result one final time.

What’s being debated

Article 11: Extra copyright for news sites
Will all use of  journalistic content online, even when just describing a link, require a license from the publisher? Read more
Article 13: Censorship machines
Will internet platforms where users can upload content be forced to monitor user behavior to identify and prevent copyright infringement? Read more
Article 3: Text and Data Mining exception limited in scope
Will a new EU-wide permission to conduct research using text and data mining be limited to research institutions only? Read more

Full text of the Commission proposal
Opinions by the Internal Market, Industry, Culture and Civil Liberties Committees of the European Parliament
Legal Affairs Committee (leading): Draft Report, over 1000 proposed amendments, Result

Criticism summarised

[The Copyright Directive is] on the verge of causing irreparable damage to our fundamental rights and freedoms, our economy and competitiveness, our education and research, our innovation and competition, our creativity and our culture.
– Over 80 signatories representing human and digital rights organisations, media freedom organisations, publishers, journalists, libraries, scientific and research institutions, educational institutions including universities, creator representatives, consumers, software developers, start-ups, technology businesses and Internet service providers

The [law] is failing its stated goals … The legislative drafts […] respond in effect to the agenda of powerful corporate interests … It will not serve the public interest
– Independent legal, economic and social scientists from leading research centres across Europe

We are concerned that these provisions will create burdensome and harmful restrictions on access to scientific research and data, as well as on the fundamental rights of freedom of information. […] a significant threat to an informed and literate society
– Large group of European academic, library, education, research and digital rights communities, including the European University Association and the International Federation of Library Associations

This [law] will lead to excessive filtering and deletion of content and limit the freedom to impart information on the one hand, and the freedom to receive information on the other.
– 57 signatories representing fundamental rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Reporters without Borders

The reform may thwart development of modern solutions in education, creativity, commerce, media or healthcare
– A Future Not Made in the EU – Centrum Cyfrowe think tank

For more, see the individual topic pages.

Timetable

Show past events

July 5, 2018 EU Parliament plenary Vote to rubber-stamp Committee position or re-open it for debate
September 10–13, 2018 EU Parliament plenary IF Parliament re-opens debate on July 5: Vote on the law (open for amendments by groups or 10% of MEPs)
afterwards Trilogue Closed-door negotiations between Parliament and Council
afterwards EU Parliament plenary Final vote to approve negotiation result

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Icons use material (cc) Ralf Schmitzer, Valery, Nathan Diesel, Curve for the Noun Project