Kulturudvalget 2016-17
KUU Alm.del Bilag 153
Offentligt
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Europaudvalget 2016
KOM (2016) 0596 Bilag 4
Offentligt
Breve fra European Blind Union og World Blind Union vedr. forslag til DIREKTIV om
ophavsret og beslægtede rettigheder til gavn for blinde og svagsynede
Dear Representatives responsible for social protection and disability issues:
On behalf of the European Blind Union and the World Blind Union we are writing you
to ask for your positive support on EU legislation for millions citizens blind and partially sighted
persons in the EU and around the world. Next Wednesday the 22nd of March the COREPER will
consider an issue that is of great importance to insure wide access to culture and education as well
as helping social integration of persons with visual disabilities in Europe:
the Directive and
Regulation for the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty.
Unfortunately,
the latest draft
proposal of the Council proposes important changes in the European Commission proposal
(primarily weaken and change recital 11) that could have a devastating dimpact on the access
objectives of the Treaty which aims
at ending the “book famine”
that deprives blind
and partially sighted persons of the vast majority of published works. The European Parliament has
generally supported the European Commission proposal that aims at an effective and harmonized
implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty.
We have attached the letter we have sent to all EU member state permanent representations. We
hope you can take measures to assure your country expresses a positive position on this issue at
next Wednesday´s meeting.
Thank you very much,
Barbara Martín, European Blind Union
David Hammerstein, World Blind Union
KUU, Alm.del - 2016-17 - Bilag 153: Kopi af svar om Marrakesh-traktaten
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Dear Ambassador before the European Union:
We are writing to express our great concern and dismay over the Presidency compromise proposals
to Com(2016) 596
1
that will be considered next week in the COREPER. If these proposals
prospered, especially with regards to
the proposed changes to “Recital 11” of the Directive as tabled
by the European Commission, the human rights objectives of the Marrakesh Treaty would be
severely jeopardized. Representatives of millions of visually-impaired persons in Europe and
around the world are requesting that you withdraw these proposals that could have fatal
consequences on ending the “book famine” and the cross-border
sharing of texts in accessible
formats which are the motivations behind the Marrakesh Treaty and the UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Article 21).
The introduction by EU Member States of rightsholders compensation laws and/or commercial
availability as proposed by the abovementioned Council compromise proposals would create legal
uncertainty for cross-border exchange, greater administrative burdens, greater costs and a chaotic
regulatory situation between EU country legislations concerning the access to culture and education
by blind and other print-disabled persons. On the contrary, successful implementation of the
Marrakesh Treaty needs simple and user-friendly EU harmonization of the application of this
exception to copyright.
In contrast, we would like to express our total support for the proposal of the European Commission
(Recital 11) that is also supported by the majority of the European Parliament
“that Member
States should not be allowed to impose additional requirements for the application of the
exception such as compensation schemes or the prior verfication of commercial availability of
accessible format copies.”
We consider this a “make or break” issue to achieve positive EU legislation for visually-
impaired persons.
The Marrakesh Treaty will only be successful in ending the “book famine” of the visually impaired
persons if it is implemented in the EU without additional barriers or burdens. We are confident that
you understand the objectives of the Treaty and will act accordingly to make this EU legislation
simple, efficient and fair.
We are at your disposal to meet in Brussels or in national capitals to discuss these issues at the
earliest possible date.
Thank you very much,
1.
“DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on certain
permitted uses of works and other subject-matter protected by copyright and related rights for the
benefit of persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled and amending
Directive 2001/29/EC on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the
information society.”