EC Could Start Legal Action Against 23 Member States

A total of 23 EU countries could be taken to court for lacking to enact EU copyright rules into national law. The European Commission has requested Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia and Slovakia to communicate information about how the rules included in the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market are being enacted into their national law.

The EC has also requested Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia to communicate information about how Directive  on online television and radio programmes is enacted into their national law. As the Member States above have not communicated national transposition measures or have done it only partially, the Commission decided today to open infringement procedures by sending letters of formal notice.

The two Directives aim to modernise EU copyright rules and to enable consumers and creators to make the most of the digital world, the EC said in a statement. They reinforce the position of creative industries, allow for more digital uses in core areas of society, and facilitate the distribution of radio and television programmes across the EU. The deadline for transposing these Directives into national legislation was 7 June 2021. Member States now have two months to respond to the letters and take the necessary measures. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the EC said it might decide to issue reasoned opinions.