Strasbourg, February 10, 1999
The European Parliament today gave a resounding signal of support to artists and musicians by voting
for a strong Copyright Directive.
The Opinion given by the Parliament on the proposed Directive will give
reassurance to all those who depend on copyright for their livelihood, and to
all artists, musicians and producers who want to create and distribute works
on the Internet.
Jean-Michel Jarre, who has led the artists' campaign for the Parliament to
improve the proposed Directive, said: "Artists have addressed the Parliament
directly on this issue and Members of the Parliament have listened. We are
grateful for that, because MEPs have shown they really understand the needs of
artists and musicians in the digital age. This is an important step, and it is
a great signal of support from the Parliament."
Background: The European parliament on February 10 adopted amendments to the
proposed EU Copyright Directive. The amendments were the result of the work of
three Committees of the parliament, including the lead Legal Affairs
Committee.
The Directive was proposed by the European Commission in December 1997.
Following its first reading by the European Parliament it will be considered
by the 15 governments of the EU in the Council of Ministers.