COMECON MEDIA

Economic analysis:   EPC - Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive & Chief Economist and Iva Tasheva, Junior Policy Analyst Legal analysis:  Deprez Guignot Associés -  Professor Jean-Michel Bruguière, IP/Media lawyer and a professor at Grenoble University and  Frédéric Dumont,  Attorney & Partner With the support of the Computer and  Communications Industry Association (CCIA) European legislators have taken on the ambitious task of adapting EU law to an increasingly digitalised world. As part of the European Commission’s strategy for the Digital Single Market, it is currently modernising EU copyright legislation. While copyright is an important tool to encourage investment in the creative industries, an ill-designed copyright reform would fail to deliver important objectives such as an efficient value chain and a functioning Single Market. It could also have a negative impact on society as a whole by limiting access to information, undermining media plurality and

Brussels, 24 May 2017 The data protection reform package which entered into force in May 2016 and will be applicable as of May 2018 includes the General Data Protection Regulation ("Regulation") and the Data Protection Directive for the police and criminal justice sector. The reform is an essential step to strengthening citizens' fundamental rights in the digital age and facilitating business by simplifying rules for companies in the Digital Single Market.   What will change under the General Data Protection Regulation?  The Regulation updates and modernises the principles enshrined in the 1995 Data Protection Directive to guarantee privacy rights. It focuses on: reinforcing individuals' rights; strengthening the EU internal market; ensuring stronger enforcement of the rules; streamlining international transfers of personal data and; setting global data protection standards. The changes will give people  more control  over their personal data and

Link Brussels, 24 May 2017 "New EU-wide data protection standards have been adopted by the EU last year. Their success depends not only on Member States adapting national laws to the new rules, but also on the knowledge of citizens of their new rights, and on businesses in the EU to be ready once the new rules enter into force. We have one year to work with all Member States and to engage with companies to make this happen. This work should be stepped up and reinforced to ensure harmonisation and avoid fragmentation in the implementation. Within the year we will also launch an EU-wide campaign to raise awareness so that Europeans are conscious of their rights. A year from now, the European Union will start benefiting from the new data protection standards. As of May 2018, the new rules of the General Data Protection Regulation will enter into application and give a strong basis for the Digital Single Market to flourish. The new rules will protect the EU citizens' f

Link Brussels, 18 May 2017 "I welcome today's positive vote of the European Parliament on the portability of online content across borders, following the agreement reached between the European Parliament, Council and Commission at the beginning of the year. I warmly thank the European Parliament rapporteur Jean-Marie Cavada for his work in achieving this and look forward to final approval by Member States in the coming weeks. The rules voted today mean that, as of the beginning of next year, people who have subscribed to their favourite series, music and sports events at home will be able to enjoy them when they travel in the European Union. Combined with the end of roaming charges, it means that watching films or listening to music while on holiday abroad will not bring any additional costs to people who use mobile networks. This is an important step in breaking down barriers in the Digital Single Market. We now need agreements on our other proposals to modernise