Brussels, 03/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - When she opens the World Copyright Summit in Brussels on 7 and 8 June, European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes will present her vision of the new European digital ecosystem and of the role that creative industries should play in the European Union's Digital Agenda. The summit will also be attended by Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier. Underlining the fundamental role that the future Digital Europe must play, Neelie Kroes gave her viewpoint during a forum on the Copyright Summit, saying she will focus her speech on the need for Europe's creative industries, especially the music industry, to embrace the digital era by making the most of Europe's assets. “We've got an amazing asset in the single market - I like to call it our crown jewel - and I want to help the music industry find every way to gain from it”, Kroes said. The commissioner went on to add that the European creative community should continue to avail itself of the new information and communication technologies (ICT). “Given that virtually every trend shows that the world is going digital, I want to make sure all artists can come along for the ride. And I hope the creative communities of Europe also embrace these possibilities. ICT is not something that happens to the creative world - it's something you can bend and shape and improve if you want to. The Digital Agenda for Europe is your chance to join that movement. Whether in making or viewing or using art, we all have a stake in how our culture and the digital world interact”, the commissioner said.
The World Copyright Summit will be closed by Commissioner Barnier, who is currently working on a draft directive on the collective management of copyright and who will present at this event his vision of the new challenges to be faced by the creative industries and the responses they will have to find. (I.L./transl.jl)