On 11 April a high-level international conference “A better copyright for quality higher education and research in Europe and beyond” took place in Brussels. The conference was lead by ETUCE with partnership of the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE) and the COMMUNIA network.

Goal of the event was the discuss the proposal of the European Commission for a Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, which will have a broad impact on the work of teachers, students, professors, academics and researchers. The initiative is currently under approval in the European Parliament. With a view to influence the political debate at EU level and in light of the policy developments at global level, this conference offered the opportunity to discuss and provide insights into intellectual and creative property rights of academics and researchers, in particular into their copyrights at higher education and research level, including as well the awareness and sensitization of young people and students.

The conference brought together partners’ member organisations active in the EU Copyright reform in education as well as to other prominent political and policy stakeholders in the field of education and copyright at EU and international level (e.g. EU and international civil society IP lawyers and experts, national IP offices, national and regional political representations to the EU, representatives and experts from the EU institutions and EUIPO agency officials).

From EFEE’s members’ side, Mr Damjan Harisch from the Slovenian Ministry of Education and Mr Joseph Ryan from Technological Higher Education Association of Ireland presented their national copyright models during the conference.

After the conference, the organising parties drafted their Joint Conclusions to let further spread their message at EU level. Anthony Walker Womens Jersey