Brussels, 16/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 10 July, the European Parliament's legal affairs committee discussed the informal agreement reached at the beginning of June between the Parliament and the Council of Ministers on the European Commission's proposal for a directive on orphan works (see EUROPE 10629). This directive establishes rules to make it easier for public institutions, such as museums and libraries, to make orphan works, whose authors are difficult to identify, available online. According to the Polish Socialist MEP Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg, who has been leading the negotiations on behalf of the Parliament: “This is clear legislation, which gives public institutions legal security so that they are not afraid of using orphan works. Public institutions are currently keeping all these works hidden as they are afraid that making them available without the consent of the rights holder could leave them facing trial and potentially millions of euro to pay”.
The informal agreement was supported by MEPs from all the different political groups present on 10 July. Nonetheless, some MEPs from the Greens Group expressed reservations. The Swedish MEP, Christian Engström, declared: “this is not going to help to make European common cultural heritage available the way it is drafted so I would urge everybody to reconsider because at the moment it simply isn't useful”. The draft legislation will be voted on in plenary session on 12 September next and will then need to be approved by the Council. (IL/transl.fl)