Informal agreement with the European Parliament on ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty

The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached an informal agreement on 10 May 2017 regarding a proposal implementing the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled.

The Marrakesh Treaty was adopted in June 2013 by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and signed by the European Union in April 2014, following endorsement by the Council. Despite delays on ratification by the EU, the Treaty entered into force in September 2016.

The European Commission initially published a proposal on the ratification in October 2014, but deep institutional disagreements later resulted on a ECJ case on EU competence for ratification of this Treaty. The final Opinion was released in February 2017 arguing for exclusive competence. In September 2016, the Commission had already put forward the necessary legislative proposals to bring EU law in line with the commitments under the Treaty.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: The Marrakesh Treaty [EPRS Study, November 2016] http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-marrakesh-treaty/

European Commission: DG Communication: IP/17/1271, 10.05.17: The political compromise on the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty will give a better access to books for blind and other disabled people http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1271_en.htm

European Parliament: Press Release, 10.05.17: EU rules to make more books available for blind people informally agreed with Council http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20170509IPR73921/

Electronic Frontier Foundation [EFF]: News, 12.05.17: European Publishing Lobby Forces Compromise on Marrakesh Treaty https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/05/european-publishing-lobby-forces-compromise-marrakesh-treaty

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