The ECA Annual Congress supported the statement by the participants at the conference "Rights and Wrongs?"
Having just conducted its Berlin Conference on the UNESCO Convention on cultural diversity, the European Council of Artists 2006 Congress urges the Commission to reconsider and follow the advice given by the Parliamentarian Cultural and Legal Committees.
Representatives of the 25 national, interdisciplinary ECA members of professional artists strongly urge the Commission to start a renewed process of considerations concerning a future cross border online distribution of music – based on the principle of reciprocal agreements between autonomous, national Authors’ Rights Societies – followed by a proper democratic consultation process involving all EU institutions and all stake-holders.
The following statement of support was signed by individual delegates at the conference and subsequently it was corroborated by the ECA annual Congress on Sunday November 26.
Ludwig Laher
President of ECA
Berlin November 26, 2006
As individual participants in the ECA/IGBK Berlin Conference we sign this letter of support:
We strongly support the dedicated initiatives taken in the EU Parliament’s Cultural Committee’s/Mavrommatis’ Final Report and the Legal Committee’s/Lévai Draft Report - in respect for the EU signed UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity – by adamantly applying the obligations into their advise upon the Commission’s Recommendation on “cross border online distribution of music” towards the Parliament.
Thus recommending:
… that the future of online distribution of music - and subsequently all other art forms distributable in digital form - be not left in the hands of a few multinational companies or their associates in Europe, to the detriment of all rights- and stakeholders,
… that the current reciprocal agreement system of rights being guarded through collective management between autonomous, national Authors’ Rights Societies – in respect of and abiding to the CISAC model contract – be upheld and safeguarded to the benefit of all stakeholders.
Berlin
November 25, 2006
Bernt Lindberg, Sweden, KLYS
Ilona Meannchen, Germany, Art & Scenography Design
Ludwig Laher, Austria, Kulturrat Österreich, Writer
Jorge Bosso, Spain, Federacion de Artistas
Elisabet Diedrichs, Denmark, Council of Danish Artists
Renate Christin,Germany, IGBK, Painter
Ágnes Peter, Hungary, Artsymposion, Sculpturer, Painter
Narcy Calamatta, Malta, ECA Malta Council, Actor
Simon Pellar, Czech Republic, RUO, DILIA, ECA, Writer, Translater
Andreas Schmid Germany, IGBK, visual artist
Mary Anne Zammit, Malta, Painter/Writer
Kornelijus Platelis, Lithuania, Lithuanian Artists’ Association
Monica Lotreanu, Romania, ANUC, Architect
Vaclovas Krutinis, Lithuania, Lithuanian Artists’ Association
Torsti Lethinen, Finland, FORUM ARTIS, writer
Franz Ernst, Denmark, Council of Danish Artists, Filmdirector
Grete Marstein, Norway, Norwegian Visual Artists
Christine Heemsoth, Germany, Internationale Gesellschaft Bildende Künste
Michael Burke, Ireland, Sculpture Works
Jaan Elken, Estonia, Estonian Artists Association
Mercedes Zuñiga, Spain, Federation of Spanish Artists, Dancer
Tomo Vran, Slovenia, Cultural Chamber of Slovenia, Visual artist
Cesar Casares, Spain, Federation of Spanish Artists
Jose Carlos Carmona, Spain, Federation of Spanish Artists