FEP is an independent, non-commercial umbrella association of book publishers associations in the European Union. FEP represents 26 national associations of book publishers of the European Union and of the European Economic Area. FEP is the voice of the great majority of publishers in Europe.
Founded in 1967, FEP deals with European legislation and advises publishers' associations on copyright and other legislative issues.
The book is the first cultural industry in Europe with an annual sales revenue of book publishers of approximately € 23.75 billion according to a survey conducted by FEP for the year 2008.
A total of about 510 000 new titles were issued by publishers in 2008 and approximately 135,000 people are employed full time in book publishing. (more information in the part 'statistics').
These figures show the importance of publishing industry in terms of innovation, growth and employment in Europe. The book industry is a key player in the knowledge society and economy and contributes actively to achieve the Lisbon Agenda goals.
FEP NEW President and Vice President (11/06)
Meeting in Rome for their semi-annual general assembly, publishers member of the Federation of the European Publishers elected the Irish publisher Fergal Tobin as FEP President for 2 years.
Fergal Tobin has been Publishing Director of Gill and MacMillan since 1995. He was President of CLE, the Irish Book Publishers' Association from 2002 to 2004.
FEP members also elected the new Vice-President Piotr Marciszuk, President of the Polish Chamber of Books. He is the owner of educational publishing house Stentor.
FEP statistics for the year 2008
The total annual sales revenue of book publishers of the EU and the EEA in 2008 was approximately € 23.75 billion, according to the survey conducted by FEP; this represents a decrease from the last estimate of € 24.5 billion for 2007, but in very large part such decrease was only nominal, due to changes in exchange rates. The largest markets in terms of publishers’ turnover in 2008 were Germany, followed by the UK, France, Spain and Italy. A total of about 510,000 new titles were issued by publishers in 2008. The figure was taken from different sources, some of which included new editions or non commercial titles, and was rounded quite conservatively accordingly. There was an increase of an estimated 4% in the title output from the previous survey.European publishers held a total of over 6 million different titles in stock, the countries reporting the largest availability being the UK (over 2 million), Germany (around 1.2 million), Italy (over 600,000), France (over half a million) and Spain (almost 400,000).
The countries reporting the largest new titles output1 were the UK (120,947), Germany (83,381), Spain (42,592), France (38,354) and Italy (36,409).
According to the report, a total of approximately 135,000 people were employed full time in book publishing in 2008, an amount slightly lower than one year earlier.
Beyond the individual figures, it can be noted that up to 2007 there was a clear increasing trend both in terms of turnover and of titles output, while in 2008 the title production kept growing while for turnover, adjusting for exchange rates effects, it was basically a flat year; the crisis therefore has had a lighter impact on publishing than on most other sectors. This analysis relies on the examination of more detailed data from a number of members that represent well over 80% of the total turnover and title production.
For further information: Enrico Turrin, +32 2 770 11 10 - eturrin@fep-fee.eu
Press release (01/06) - Adoption of MEP Gallo's report on the enforcement of copyright -
The Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament had adopted today the own-initiative report of MEP Marielle Gallo on the enforcement of copyright. FEP welcomes this vote as an support from a majority of MEPs in that Committee that protection of intellectual property is still Europe’s prerequisite to sustain a diverse and rich array of cultural sectors.
Last Friday, the iPad was finally launched in Europe joining the many already available e-readers. European publishers are looking forward to more and more books been downloaded from the internet to be read on these electronic reading devices. Of course if we want to continue to promote promising and recognised European authors and to publish high quality books in the future, we need to ensure that the sector remains sustainable and that citizens-readers will continue acquiring books through bricks and mortar bookshops or electronic ones. The business models will evolve and will be tailor-made to the requirements of the readers.
In view of the plenary vote to come, FEP will continue making the case that a balanced copyright regime is absolutely necessary to foster a flourishing cultural sector including European books.
FEP is representing 26 national publishers associations of the European Union and the European Economic Area www.fep-fee.eu Book publishing is the first cultural industry in Europe with a turnover of 24 billion euros . More than half a million new books are published each year by European publishers.
For more information contact abergman@fep-fee.eu
EC/ Digital Agenda for Europe, action plan for a digital economy. (31/05/2010)
On 19 May the European Commission launched the Digital Agenda for Europe, an ambitious action plan for a digital economy. The Digital Agenda will contribute significantly to the EU's economic growth and spread the benefits of the digital era to all sections of society. The Digital Agenda for Europe proposes a number of collective actions which must start now and continue over the next decade if we are to make "every European digital" -a digitally-empowered individual, with secure online rights and privacy protection, equipped to benefit from a vibrant and integrated digital EU market-place. Making this happen will require the active involvement of national, regional and local actors from all parts of society: government and business, citizen groups in all sectors from health and education to transport and energy, thinkers and - above all - doers. The Commission has published a survey and asks you and the organisation in which you work or cooperate to have a stake in the digital future..If you decide to do something, anything that supports the many important goals set out in the Digital Agenda, then you should register your intentions below. The European Commission office in each country will be holding at least one session on the Digital Agenda for Europe. The information you provide will allow the Commission to better prepare the sessions and shape them according to your interests.
EC adopts digital agenda recommending solution for orphan and out of print works (19/05) The Commission adopted on 19th May the Communication setting up the digital agenda. According to the Commission ‘Citizens should be able to enjoy commercial services and cultural entertainment across borders. But EU online markets are still separated by barriers which hamper access to pan-European telecoms services, digital services and content. Today there are four times as many music downloads in the US as in the EU because of the lack of legal offers and fragmented markets. The Commission intends to open up access to legal online content by simplifying copyright clearance, management and cross-border licensing. Other actions include making electronic payments and invoicing easier and simplifying online dispute resolution’.
ECJ/Opinion from the European Court of Justice Advocate General Trstenkak about private copy levies. (11/05)
In a reference for a preliminary ruling from Spanish Court, the Advocate General Verica Trstenjak has given its opinion on a case concerning private copy levies imposed on digital equipment, devices and media.
More in Members’ Only
EC/ EU grant for literary translation - selection results for 2010
This year the Culture Programme has helped to finance 502 works of fiction to be translated from one European language into another European language. At the time of the deadline, 210 applications had been submitted, counting a total of 992 works. Italy with 22 projects submitted most applications, followed by Bulgaria (18), Spain (16), Hungary (14) and Slovenia (13).
Slovenia proved the most successful applicant this year with the highest number of selected projects (10), followed by Bulgaria (9), Hungary (9), Italy (8) and Norway (8).
EC/ Publication of green paper on unlocking the full potential of Europe's cultural and creative industries (27/04)
On 27 April, the European Commission has adopted a green paper on "Unlocking the potential of cultural and creative industries".This initiative has launched a consultation to better understand how the EU can help create a better business environment which meets the specific needs of creative entrepreneurship. The green paper highlights the new horizons for cultural industries like digitalisation. The document also stresses the need to improve access to finance, especially for small businesses, in order to enable the sector to flourish and to contribute to growth and innovation.The public consultation has been initiated by the EC in order to have the views of all the stakeholders on a number of issues such as: access to funding; use of TIC; development of innovation; the mobility of artists etc. FEP will answer to the consultation. (deadline end of July)
Piracy/European Commission consultation on the review of customs legislation on enforcement of IPR
The European Commission (DG Taxation and Customs Union) is considering a review of the EU legislation on customs enforcement of intellectual property rights (in particular, Council Regulation (EC) No 1383/2003 of 22 July 2003 concerning customs action against goods suspected of infringing certain intellectual property rights and the measures to be taken against goods found to have infringed such rights). To collect information on the subject and the views of stakeholders, the Commission has launched a public consultation.
The deadline for submitting contributions to the consultation is 25 May.
The European Commission sets up a Reflection Group on digitization (21/04)
(Press release)
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso has announced that the European Commission will entrust three personalities - Maurice Lévy (CEO of Publicis), Elisabeth Niggemann (Head of the German National Library) and Jacques De Decker (writer) - to come up with recommendations on how best to speed up the digitisation, online accessibility and preservation of cultural works across Europe. This Reflection Group will examine the various ongoing initiatives involving both public and private partners (notably the Google Books project) and copyright issues to find ways to boost the digitisation efforts of the complete collections held by libraries, museums and archives in Europe.
Granada Ministerial Declaration on the European Digital Agenda
The ministers responsible for the Information Society Policy of the European Union Member States, and the European Economic Area, under the Chairmanship of Mr Miguel Sebastián Gascón, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Trade, and in the presence of Vice President Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, on the occasion of the Informal Ministerial Meeting in Granada Spain 18-19 April 2010 have agreed that for the Digital Single Market
Foster a pan-European digital market place for content and e-commerce, inter alia, by eliminating regulatory obstacles, notably regarding cross-border access and transactions.
With regard to intellectual property rights, actively promote the development of European digital content markets through practical solutions to promote new business models and concrete measures to reduce market fragmentation for the reuse and access to digital content, while protecting and assuring the fair remuneration of rights holders.
Provide support for the digitisation and dissemination of European cultural heritage through a systematic development of Europeana and other public private partnerships.
Encourage the supply and access to the legal offer of high-quality content and respect of copyright on the internet through easing the complexity of multiterritorial licensing.
EC/Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement: European Commission welcomes release of negotiation documents (21/04)
The negotiation parties of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) published the documents of the 8th round of negotiations held in Wellington on 12-16 April. The European Commission welcomes the decision to make the draft available to the public.
Piracy/Report on employment effects of piracy (17/03)
On 17 March 2010, a report was published called “Building a digital economy: The importance of saving jobs in the EU's creative industries”. The study, commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce, considers the increase of unauthorised file-sharing, downloading and streaming of copyrighted works as a "major threat" to the creative industries and estimates that piracy will cost Europe 1.2 million jobs and 240 billion € in lost incomes by 2015.
The report was presented at a lunch in the European Parliament, FEP was present at the event.
The reduced VAT for books and print media will maintain in Latvia in 2011. The coalition parties agreed on maintaining the reduced VAT rate of 10% in 2011 for books and the print media. If the time period for the reduced VAT rate is not extended, it will rise to 21% from January 1 next year. The coalition parties agreed to forward a bill on extending the reduced VAT rate for examination in the second reading of the corresponding law.
The anti-counterfeiting trade agreement (ACTA) being negotiated in secret by the U.S., E.U. and others potentially runs roughshod over European data protection requirements, European data protection supervisor (EDPS) Peter Hustinx said Monday. "Intellectual property is important to society and must be protected [but] it should not be placed above individuals' fundamental rights to privacy and data protection," Hustinx said in statement. [PC World]
New Commission approved by the European Parliament (09/02) MEPs approved the 26 Commissioners on 9th February in Strasbourg, enabling President Barroso’s new team to get down to business. The vote was 488 in favour, 137 against (with 72 abstaining), well over the majority required. With Mr Barroso, the new line-up comprises 27 members, one from each EU country. Fourteen, including the President, served in the previous executive. Their term lasts five years. The Barroso II team will take office once EU leaders have formally appointed it. Link to the new Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/index_en.htm
EC/Final report of the High Level Expert Group on Digital Libraries
The report consolidates and summarises the advice provided by the HLG in the period 2006-2009. The HLG concluded its mandate at the end of 2009. Arne Bach and Arnaud Nourry (Hachette) represented the book publishers.
A reference to the ARROW project can be found on the document.
FEP met with the European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations(03/02)
Representatives of FEP and Eblida, the umbrella association of national library, information, documentation and archive associations and institutions in Europe, met on the 3rd of February 2010 to discuss issues of common interest. Some of the topics in the agenda were how to deal with digitisation and making available of works whose rightholders are unlocatable and/or unknown (so called “orphan works”). Another topic discussed was reduced VAT on electronic publications.More information, please contact: omartinsancho@fep-fee.eu
More in Members Only
EC/ Piracy/Stakeholders’ Dialogue on illegal up and downloading (03/02)
On 3 February 2010, FEP attended the fourth meeting of the Stakeholders' Dialogue on illegal up and downloading, an initiative launched by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Internal Market and Services which runs in parallel with the European Observatory on Counterfeiting and Piracy.
The focus of the meeting was on information sharing between right holders and ISPs, notices and evidence standards. Right holders and ISPs made a number of presentations on the issue of whether there can be cooperation in sharing information on copyright infringements, gathering evidence about them and setting up notification systems to warn alleged infringers, and commented on the effectiveness of such measures.
EC/ Information Day on the fourth Call for Proposals of the ICT Policy Support Programme - Theme “Digital Libraries”(04/02)
On 4 February 2010, FEP attended an Information Day in Luxembourg on the fourth Call for Proposals of the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP); this is a European Commission programme included in the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (2007-2013) ("CIP"), which aims, among others, at making digital content in Europe more accessible, usable and exploitable (for more details, see FEP Newsletter 87 of 22/01/2010). The day was entirely dedicated to the theme “Digital Libraries”.
The call for proposals, launched on 21 January 2010 and to last until 1 June 2010, will make available 30 million € to fund projects responding to 6 different objectives under the Digital Libraries theme. The objectives, we recall, are:
2.1: Coordinating Europeana
2.2: Enhancing/Aggregating content in Europeana
2.3: Digitising content for Europeana
2.4: Access to European Rights Information / Registry of Orphan Works
2.5: Open access to scientific information
2.6: Statistics on cultural heritage digitisation activities
The draft ICT PSP Working Programme 2010 can be found
Regional Office of Valencia/ Discussion on digital books and copyright.
The Regional Office of Valencia in Brussels organised on the 12th of January a discussion about digital books and copyright: its implication for European authors, readers and publishers. The Director of the Valencian Office announced that the Spanish Presidency had foreseen a Conference on digitisation of cultural content and libraries on the 12th and 13th of April in Madrid.
European Union Prize for Literature 2010 - Press Release (08/01)
The European Booksellers Federation (EBF), the European Writers' Council (EWC) and the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) are delighted to announce that they have been re-appointed by the European Commission, DG Education and Culture, as the consortium to organise the European Prize for Literature (EUPL) to be awarded in November 2010 to emerging authors from 11 countries participating in the EU Culture Programme.
The countries selected for 2010 are:
Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia. As a first step, the consortium will organise the setting up of juries in each of these countries. The juries will start their selection process as of January 2010 and deliver a final report to the consortium by the end of June 2010.
The aim of the EUPL is to put the spotlight on the creativity and diverse wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature, to promote the circulation of literature within Europe and encourage greater interest in non-national literary works.
In 2009, 12 prizes were awarded to emerging authors from the first set of countries, during a ceremony in Brussels celebrating the diversity of European literature in the presence of Commission President José Manuel Barroso, the Swedish bestselling author Henning Mankell (who had accepted the role of ‘Patron of the EUPL’ in 2009), Ms Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth (Minister of Culture Sweden), and Ms Doris Pack (MEP, Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Education and Culture). In 2011, authors from the 12 remaining countries from the total of 35 participating in the EU Culture Programme will be eligible for the awards.
Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, said: ''The EU is a world super-power in culture. Our rich cultural diversity is a huge asset, and we must maximise our efforts to exploit it, to stimulate creativity, innovation and economic growth. The European Union Prize for Literature is an example of what can be done in this filed, as it helps promote emerging European literary talents and showcase European culture.''
EBF President, John Mc Namee, commented: “EBF is delighted to be a player in this extremely valuable initiative which brings talented writers to the due attention of European readers across borders.”
EWC President, Pirjo Hiidenmaa, added: “The first edition of the EUPL has proven that the prize has the power to raise awareness about European contemporary literature and to open doors across Europe for emerging talents.”
FEP President, Federico Motta underlined the “central role of literature in our common European cultural heritage”, adding that the three partners “will draw on last year’s experienceto ensure that this year’s prize – and the winning authors - will receive even greater visibility.”
Besides the setting up of the juries, the role of the consortium will be the co-ordination of the initiative and the practical organisation of the awards' ceremony.
The EUPL is co-financed through the Culture Programme of the European Union. The programme supports trans-national cultural cooperation projects involving operators from a minimum of three different countries participating in the programme. It also provides specific support for the translation of literary works and is open to all cultural sectors except audiovisual, for which a separate programme exists
On 1 January, Spain assumed the presidency of the EU. For six months, the main task of the country which holds the presidency is to organise and manage the work of the Council of the European Union where the member states are represented.
This means that until 30 June, the Spanish representatives on the Council and its subsidiary bodies (committees and working groups) are responsible for setting the agenda and presiding over the approximately 3 000 meetings which will take place in Brussels and Luxembourg and the 300 that will be held in Spain.
Council’ President, Herman van Rompuy will chair the Council (Head of States) while Catherine Ashton, will chair the General Affairs Council (Foreign Affairs and Security Policy).
The rotating presidencies (acting in Troika – Spain, Belgium, Hungary) will chair the so-called specialised Council.
Germany/Berlin Plans Response to Google Books Project
The German Cabinet agreed Wednesday to a plan that would fund the digitization of books, pictures, sculptures, notes, music and films and make them available on the Internet. Culture Minister Bernd Neumann called the project a “quantum leap into the world of digital information.
The project, called the German Digital Library (DDB), would go online in 2011 and play a major role in the preservation of Germany’s cultural identity, Neumann added. Initial funding of 5 million euros ($7.6 million) as well as annual costs of 2.6 million euros will come from a German economic bail-out program and be split by the federal and state governments.
The German project is a response to the Google Book Search program, which the German government opposed, saying it lacked sufficient protections for copyright holders.
“The German Digital Library is a reasonable response to Google,” Neumann said, adding that the German project would first seek copyright holders’ approval before digitizing a work, rather than following Google’s strategy of allowing copyright holders to have their works removed from the database after being digitized.
Let’s work together says the EC, European publishers agree - 19 October 2009
Today, the European Commission adopted a Communication on copyright in the knowledge economy. This Communication is based on the consultation which followed the Green Paper and recommends pursuing and developing the current discussions between the rights holders including publishers and users such as libraries and organisations representing the Visually Impaired Persons.
FEP looks forward working with the new Commission and with the other stakeholders to develop a more positive approach, and to find and develop enabling tools and sustainable publishing models.
When meeting FEP Board on 30th September, Commissioner Reding insisted she did not plan to reform copyright law. She also agreed that rights have to be cleared for in print and out of print books. FEP counts on the new Commission to hold on to that commitment.
FEP is very encouraged by the reference in the text of the obligation to conduct a due diligent search before launching any digitisation and making available on the internet.
As for the issue of digitisation, under the momentum initiated by the Commission, FEP has a leading role in ARROW (Accessible Registeries of Rights Information and Orphan Works towards Europeana http://www.arrow-net.eu) with the objective to facilitate the search of the rights status of a book and its subsequent licensing for digitisation and giving access on the internet. ARROW is co-funded by the EC eContent+ programme and has received support from the Commission since outset (1).
As for supporting improved access for the Visually Impaired, FEP has been working for several years to promote solutions between the publishing sector and the organisations representing VIP (EUAIN and PRO ACCESS projects). With increasing number of books being published simultaneously in print and digital formats, publishers hope that more and more users will access their content. FEP looks forward to contributing constructively to the stakeholders’ platform and will mobilise its membership to find balanced models.
In the light of protracted discussions around the Google settlement (which is currently being re-negotiated (2)), FEP welcomes the Communication as a recognition by the European Commission of the publishers' crucial role in the creation and dissemination of high quality content.
The Federation of European Publishers represents 26 national book publishers associations of the European Union and the European Economic Area. Its members publish more than half a million new titles each year and the turnover of the sector is estimated at 40 billions € (publishers’ turnover was 24 billions € in 2007). For more information, contact Anne Bergman-Tahon 0032 2 770 11 10
(1) Libraries (or others) seeking to digitise their books’ collections, will be able to question the relevant databases (national bibliographies, books in print databases and collecting societies’ databases) containing information pertaining to the status of the books: commercially available (in print), out of print with identifiable rights holders or orphan works. FEP looks forward to working with the EC and other EU institutions to find a balanced European solution to the digitisation and making available on the internet of orphan works after a due diligent search. In line with international law, in this Communication, the Commission advocates in favour of ARROW which will foster and facilitate legal uses of protected works.
(2) Press release of FEP 21/09/2009 European publishers must be round the table when the parties to the settlement negotiate new provisions
FEP has read with great attention the Statement of Interest filed by the Department of Justice (http://thepublicindex.org/docs/letters/usa.pdf). FEP has consistently argued for any solution to be market neutral so as to avoid the creation of a de-facto monopoly. This would be contrary to the interest of consumers and society in the US and more widely, and could endanger the European book industry and cultural diversity.
The Statement of Interest states that: ‘The United States has been informed by the parties that they are continuing to consider possible modifications of the Proposed Settlement to address the many concerns raised by various commenters and by the United States in its discussions with the parties’. It particularly emphasises that: "the Proposed Settlement raises concerns about the adequacy of representation with respect to foreign rightsholders" and that “the parties have not demonstrated that the class included representation sufficient to protect the interests of these foreign rightsholders”.
European publishers regret that the parties to the settlement when considering possible modifications are failing to involve their European counterparts whose books are important components of the collections of US libraries (at a conservative estimate, roughly 50% of these works are non-US works). As representatives of these rightsholders, FEP should be involved in the ongoing negotiations; it is not acceptable that they learn of progress through the press, and not consistent with the principles of natural justice that they be excluded from discussions.
Consequently FEP has contacted the parties seeking an early seat at the table throughout ongoing negotiations.
New Google US book Settlement to be presented on 9th November 2009
Google Book Search hearing to be postponed (UPDATED)
The parties in the Google Book Settlement have asked the court for a postponement of the fairness hearing scheduled for 7th October, as they intend to amend the deal after consultation with the Department of Justice.
The parties did not specify the timeframe for the amendment of the agreement, but asked the court to schedule a “status conference” on 6th November; at that time they are expected to present a schedule for further proceedings.
On 24 September, the judge in the Google case has granted the Parties' motion to postpone the fairness hearing. Additional details about next steps are included in the order (the document can be found in the Members Only part of the website).
FEP BROCHURE
FEP has published its brochure ‘The Whole World is Here’ explaining the role of publishers. We have printed copies available upon request and in annex you can find the pdf file.
Advocacy report of the FEP in favour of European programmes for books – latest versions available!
The Federation of European Publishers has published its report ‘Europe and the book’ which presents publishers’ demands for improved support for European projects based on the grounds that the book is the key element of European cultures and languages, and that publishing is at the core of the Information Society and Digital Libraries that the European Union also encourages. It also expresses publishers’ need for support to projects in developing countries, as the book is the main vehicle for education and culture, which are key factors of development. Finally, it suggests that the European Union should keep on encouraging its trading partners to adopt legal frameworks that are favourable to the publishing industry, notably by insisting on enforcement and on the application of the Florence agreement. The report presents a comprehensive list of 20 measures to improve some policies in support of books at European Union level. This report has been sent to key policy-makers at EU level and to key representatives of the EU Council Presidency (French, Czech and Swedish).
