Brussels, 27/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - At the end of a roundtable organised at the request of the commissioner responsible for Digital Strategy, Neelie Kroes, representatives from the electronic book industry (“eBooks”) signed a declaration denouncing the barriers preventing the circulation and market development of electronic books. The signatories also consider it an urgent matter that the problems created by the different approaches adopted to VAT on traditional books and their electronic equivalent be tackled head-on. Commissioner Kroes pointed out that there was no single digital market for eBooks and that they urgently needed to get rid of the barriers preventing consumers from purchasing eBooks in all member states, whatever platform were used.
This situation prevents authors and publishers from benefiting from their products and consumers from benefiting from wider choice. The eBook market also offers enormous potential for job creation. Commissioner Kroes declared that, “books change lives and broaden the mind... although eBook sales are exploding in the world, Europe is shooting itself in the foot… we also need a neutral VAT system for eBooks”. (IL/trans/fl)