An EU summit on the Copyright Directive today (January 21) has been cancelled after member states opposed the draft text.
The tripartite talks (known as a trilogue) between the EU Parliament, Council and Commission had been scheduled following the circulation of proposals by the Romanian presidency of the EU.
A European Union spokesman confirmed to Music Week that the trilogue had been cancelled as a result of the presidency not being able to obtain a negotiation mandate from the member states.
National goverments failed to agree on a common position for Article 11 (licensing online news links) and Article 13, which covers filters and licensing of user-generated content on upload services. The music industry sees Article 13 as a vital reform, though YouTube has lobbied against it.
There were concerns about how the copyright proposals in the compromise text could affect internet users. Eleven countries opposed the draft text: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Slovenia, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Croatia, Luxembourg and Portugal.
The latest developments follow interventions by rightsholders, including music industry bodies IMPALA and the IFPI calling for the measures to be beefed up. But other creative sectors have called for a suspension of the legislative process until a copyright case in Germany is settled.
A date for the resumption of tripartite negotations has yet to be set. The Copyright Directive was scheduled for a final vote in the EU Parliament in the spring but now faces a potential delay.
FOLLOW 
