Please find hereafter an open letter sent to different European politicians and signed by EFA in order to support its content. OPEN LETTER Brussels, 5 November 2004 Dear Sir/Madam, In the coming months, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union will establish a new generation of cultural and audio-visual programmes. The establishment of these programmes, from 2007 to 2013, will be essential to the development of the European cultural sphere and the improvement in mobility of cultural goods and services as well as to the mobility of creators, artists and culture professionals. This new generation of cultural and audio-visual programmes should also help non audio-visual European cultural industries - which remain compartmentalised by local restrictions - in both Europe and the wider international market. The EU music sector is an important contributor to economic development (sales: 9.5 billions Euro in 2003 in the enlarged Europe, 650 000 people employed directly and indirectly in Europe) as well as to true cultural pluralism. We would like to draw your attention to the lack of specific consideration of the music industry in the proposals for the Culture 2007 programme. This programme is not only the successor to Culture 2000, but follows on from the 2003 European Commission pilot projects supporting cultural mobility. We regret that the European Commission - without waiting for an evaluation of pilot actions to promote the cultural industries - has failed to propose the launch of a specific programme in its legislative proposal on 14 July 2004. Neither has it taken into consideration our particular social and economic specificities in its proposals for Culture 2007. We therefore urge that the European Commission, Parliament and Council revise the Culture 2007 programme proposal in order to allow specific projects to promote cultural industries in and outside the European Union, to help musical creation and its circulation, and to support professional training in the industry. In addition we remind you that a true European strategy to promote musical creation and the music industry in general, must also rely on initiatives that both enforce intellectual property rights, strengthen resolve in the fight against piracy, and promote cultural diversity. Yours sincerely, Signatures: EMO – European Music Office GESAC - Groupement européen des Sociétés d’Auteurs et Compositeurs ICMP/CIEM - International Confederation of Music Publishers IFPI - International Federation of the Phonographic Industry IMPALA - Independent Music Companies Association Academia de la Musica - Association of Authors, Editors & Performers (Spain) BEMF - Bureau Export de la musique française (France) Conamus - Foundation to promote Dutch music (The Netherlands) FCM - Le fonds pour la création musicale (France) Flanders Music Centre (Belgium) GEMA - Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (Germany) GermanSounds AG/Music Export Germany IUC – Music & Experienceindustry (Sweden) KODA-MIC-DMF - Performing Rights Collecting Society (Denmark) MICA – Music Information Center Austria MMVV - Mercat de Music Viva de Vic (Spain) Prime Art (Greece) SABAM - Société Belge des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs (Belgium) SACEM - Société d’administration des droits des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique (France) SACEM Lux. - Société d’administration des droits des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique (Luxembourg) SGAE - Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (Spain) SIAE - Società Italiana degli Autori ed Editori (Italy) STIM/Svensk Musik (Sweden) TEOSTO - Finnish Composers’ Copyright Society (Finland) The Noorderslag Foundation (The Netherlands) VUT - German Association of independent record companies, music publishers and producers AEF-EFA - Association européene des festivals YOUROPE - European Festival Association Addressees: Mrs. Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission, in charge of Education and Culture, Mr. Jan Figel, Designate Member of the European Commission, in charge of Education, Training, Culture and Multilinguism The 25 EU Ministers in charge of culture: Austria - Mr. Franz Morak Belgium – Mrs. Fadila Laanan Belgium – Mr. Bert Anciaux Cyprus – Mr. Pefkios Georgiades Czech Republic – Mr. Pavel Dostal Denmark – Mr. Brian Mikkelsen Estonia – Mr. Urmas Paet Finland – Mrs. Tanja Karpela France – Mr. Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres Germany - Mrs. Christina Weiss Greece – Mr. Kostas Karamanlis Hungary – Mr. Istvan Hiller Ireland – Mr. John O’Donoghue Italy – Mr. Giuliano Urbani Latvia – Mrs. Helana Demakova Lithuania – Mrs. Roma Zakaitiene Luxembourg – Mr. François Biltgen Malta – Mr. Francis Zammit Dimech Poland – Mr. Waldemar Dnbrowski Portugal – Mrs. Maria Joao Bustorff Silva Slovakia – Mr. Rudolf Chmel Slovenia – Mrs. Andreja Rihter Spain – Mrs. Carmen Calvo Sweden – Mr. Leif Pagrotsky The Netherlands – Mrs. Medy Catharina van der Laan United Kingdom – Mrs. Tessa Jowell Mr. Nikolaos SIFUNAKIS, Member of the European Parliament, Chairman of the Education and Culture Committee Mr. Vasco GRACA MOURA, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Education and Culture Committee, « rapporteur » for the CULTURE 2007 programme