Europaudvalget 2016
KOM (2016) 0596 Bilag 4
Offentligt
World Blind Union
Union Mondiale Des Aveugles
Unión Mundial de Ciegos
Dear Ambassador before the EU:
I am writing to you on behalf of the World Blind Union to ask for your
support for effective EU legislative procedures working towards covering the
needs of every blind and partially sighted person within the EU and around
the world.
In this regard, we have been told by our colleagues from the European Blind
Union (EBU) that next Wednesday the 22nd of March, the COREPER is
considering a regulatory issue that would be a step of utmost importance for
increasing access to culture and education, as well as helping social
integration of every person with visual disabilities in Europe: the Directive
and Regulation for the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty (Com(2016)
596).
Unfortunately, the latest draft proposal of the Presidency of the Council
introduces important changes in the original proposal of the European
Commission, primarily weakening and changing “recital 11”. Essentially, the
presidency proposes to permit an economic compensation for every book
made accessible for blind or partially sighted people, as well as allowing
commercial availability clauses. These modifications proposed by the
Council, if passed, would seriously weaken, if not override the main
accessibility objectives of the Treaty;
to end the “book famine” that deprives
blind and partially sighted people of the vast majority of published works.
The Council´s proposed draft would create legal uncertainty for
cross-border exchange, greater administrative burdens, greater
costs and a chaotic regulatory situation between different EU
country legislations concerning the access to culture and education
by blind and other print-disabled persons.
We are happy to see that the European Parliament has generally supported
the European Commission's original proposal, aiming at an effective and
harmonized implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty which does not allow
added barriers to access. Therefore, we trust the Council and every Member
State within it will eventually approach this advanced position and work
towards the needs of blind and partially sighted people.
In this regard, we
strongly ask you to withdraw the draft proposal and accept the
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