Brussels, 15/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - At the end of their last general assembly on 14 May 2014, the European Newspaper Publishers' Association (ENPA) adopted the Rome Resolution, which urges the European Union and member states to ensure fair competition and equal search for the media market - a market that has been significantly affected by the impact of new technology. The resolution calls for a balanced review of copyright in the digital era and reduced rates of VAT for digital content. “Press freedom and pluralism are possible only with free and viable publishing companies”, said Federazione Italiana Editori Giornali (FIEG) president, Giulio Anselmi.
As regards competition and equal search on the internet, newspaper publishers are concerned by the lack of a robust response provided by the Commission in settling the complaint against Google - which had been accused of abusing its dominant position. According to these publishers, the proposals from the internet giant to put a stop to the practices it had been accused of committing on the online search market and advertising are clearly insufficient and will not restore competition on the market. They call for fair search to be ensured on all internet sites, including the services proposed by Google, and they call on the Commission to demonstrate a firmer approach in this connection. “If the European Commission were to legitimise Google's ongoing anti-competitive activities, it would gravely undermine the future development and sustainability of the digital press sector in Europe. Fundamental European values, such as press freedom and citizens' access to a diverse range of media, are at stake in this debate”, said ENPA president, Ivar Rusdal. Several publishers were very displeased with the response and decided to file another complaint against Google on 15 May (see EUROPE 11079).
Newspaper publishers are also defending a fair and balanced copyright system at the very moment that the Commission has begun its recasting of these rights in a digital environment. Reimbursements received for copyright allow newspaper publishers to invest in innovation and maintain their independence which is why, according to the ENPA, the revision of the framework “should not lead to any undermining of publishers' investment in professional press by the introduction of new exceptions to copyright”. The third point highlighted in the resolution by newspaper publishers involves the European VAT system. The current system penalises the digital press and creates a serious obstacle to growth and job creation in the European media sector, according to publishers. “We call on the European Commission to come forward with a proposal to allow reduced rates to be applied to professionally published press content available on all formats”, ENPA states. (IL)