AI and Trump on the agenda as European Producers Club meets EU officials in Brussels
The European Producers Club delegation met EU decision-makers in Belgium last week
Protecting copyright in the age of AI and Donald Trump’s global trade wars were leading topics of discussion as a European Producers Club (EPC) delegation met high-level European Union (EU) decision-makers in Belgium last week.
Over two days, the EPC representatives held several meetings at the European Commission (EC) and European Parliament in Brussels.
The delegation raised awareness about the many challenges faced by indie producers in Europe, particularly in the context of “ongoing US threats to the cultural exception,” as well as the finalisation of the future EU budget.
Also underlined at the meetings was the unique role played by producers as contributors to growth, employment, democracy and freedom of expression.
Other discussion points included the urgent need for transparency in viewing data to the benefit of rights holders; the crucial role of territorial exclusivities in securing financing; and the pressing need to protect creatives from IP plagiarism during the ongoing AI revolution.
The EPC delegation met Piotr Serafin, commissioner for budget, anti-fraud and public administration, and Henna Virkkunen, executive VP of the European Commission for tech sovereignty, security and democracy. They also met with representatives of the director general of trade at the EC, to discuss US threats to international trade agreements.
EPC representatives then discussed the role of European indie producers with Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament; and prominent members of the committee on culture and education (CULT) of the European Parliament, including VP Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski.
Finally, the delegation exchanged views on AI issues with Axel Voss, rapporteur on copyright & generative AI, at European Parliament’s committee on legal affairs, and Sandro Ruotolo, CULT representative in the European Parliament AI working group; and met the team behind the LUX Audience Award, which highlights the European Parliament’s commitment to culture and education.
The EPC delegation included president Dariusz Jablonski (Apple Film, Poland), VP Mariela Besuievsky (Tornasol Media, Spain), VP Pandora da Cunha Telles (Ukbar Filmes, Portugal), VP Carlotta Calori (Indigo Films, Italy), Marc Missonnier, board member and UPC President (Moana Films, France), Ed Guiney (Element Pictures, Ireland), Anika Psaila Savona (Falkunfilms, Malta), James Hickey, EPC general counsel, Julie-Jeanne Régnault, MD, and Noémie Loiseau, policy assistant.
The EPC, which represents 200 indie prodcos across 35 European countries, recently re-elected Jablonski as president of its board, continuing his leadership for a second consecutive term.
