February 18, 2025
Creators in the digital economy: finishing the work we started
Dear Executive Vice-President Virkkunen,
Dear Commissioner Micallef,
As Members of the European Parliament, we want to reaffirm our shared commitment to Europe’s creators and the creative economy. Together, over the last EU term, European Parliament achieved significant progress, but there is more to be done to address the challenges and opportunities of today’s digital economy.
The creative sector is rapidly evolving, and digitalisation continues to reshape the landscape. While the rise of global streaming platforms and artificial intelligence offers exciting possibilities that the creative sector is at the forefront of, these changes also highlight the need to ensure fairness and protect Europe’s creative strength and cultural diversity.
The efforts of the European Parliament have already laid essential foundations, such as embedding transparency and accountability for generative AI in the AI Act. But now it’s vital to ensure these rules are effectively implemented, so a well-functioning market for licensing creators’ works is created and generative AI providers comply with EU laws.
At the same time, we must address the long-standing imbalance in power between creators and global platforms. Dominant video-on-demand services continue to impose buy-out contracts that exploit creators, leaving them with little choice but to accept unfair terms. The Parliament has repeatedly condemned these practices, and now legislative action is urgently needed.
Music streaming services also continue to pose challenges. While they open opportunities for wider access, the current model too often leaves platforms' operations unchecked and devalues creators’ work in exchange for promotion of the platform itself or to the benefit of other players in the value chain. EU rules providing greater transparency, rules for promoting diverse and European works, and measures to combat fraudulent AI use are essential to ensure cultural diversity and that creators are fairly rewarded for their contributions.
Europe’s cultural and creative industries contribute more than €650 billion annually to the EU economy and employ around 8 million people. Their sustainability is a matter of strategic importance for our culture, our economy, our competitiveness and sovereignty in the global digital age.
The Commission must act now to finish the work we’ve started. It is time to translate the Parliament’s repeated calls into concrete measures that protect creators, promote fairness, and ensure that Europe remains a global leader on the cultural and creative scene.
Together, we can build on the progress made, ensuring the EU remains a global leader in supporting and protecting its creators.
Sincerely,
Laurence FARRENG (Renew Europe, France)
Marcos ROS SEMPERE (S&D, Spain)
Bogdan ZDROJEWSKI (EPP, Poland)
Magdalena ADAMOWICZ (EPP, Poland)
Oihane AGIRREGOITIA MARTÍNEZ (Renew Europe, Spain)
Borys BUDKA (EPP, Poland)
Nina CARBERRY (EPP, Ireland)
José CEPEDA (S&D, Spain)*
David CORMAND (Greens/EFA, France)
Bart GROOTHUIS (Renew Europe, Netherlands)*
Christophe GRUDLER (Renew Europe, France)
Maria GUZENINA (S&D, Finland)
Hannes HEIDE (S&D, Austria)
Adam JARUBAS (EPP, Poland)
Dariusz JOŃSKI (EPP, Poland)
Rasa JUKNEVIČIENĖ (EPP, Lithuania)
Ľubica KARVAŠOVÁ (Renew Europe, Slovakia)
Ewa KOPACZ (EPP, Poland)
Aurore LALUCQ (S&D, France)
Janusz LEWANDOWSKI (EPP, Poland)
Miriam LEXMANN (EPP, Slovakia)
Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, Spain)
Michael MCNAMARA (Renew Europe, Ireland)
Idoia MENDIA (S&D, Spain)*
Nikola MINCHEV (Renew Europe, Bulgaria)
Cynthia NÍ MHURCHÚ (Renew Europe, Ireland)
Rasmus NORDQVIST (Greens/EFA, Denmark)
Aodhán Ó RÍORDÁIN (S&D, Ireland)
Leire PAJÍN (S&D, Spain)
Nikos PAPANDREOU (S&D, Greece)
Hristo PETROV (Renew Europe, Bulgaria)
Emma RAFOWICZ (S&D, France)
Diana RIBA I GINER (Greens/EFA, Spain)
Nela RIEHL (Greens/EFA, Germany)
Paulius SAUDARGAS (EPP, Lithuania)
Joanna SCHEURING-WIELGUS (S&D, Poland)
Michał SZCZERBA (EPP, Poland)
Zoltán TARR (EPP, Hungary)
Reinier VAN LANSCHOT (Greens/EFA, Netherlands)*
Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE (Renew Europe, France)
Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, Germany)
Axel VOSS (EPP, Germany)
Marta WCISŁO (EPP, Poland)
Stéphanie YON-COURTIN (Renew Europe, France)
Dainius ŽALIMAS (Renew Europe, Lithuania)