Parliament Plenary: 21 MEPs tell Internal Market Commissioner Barnier it's time for the EU to back a binding WIPO book treaty for blind people. Barnier: “I will ask Member States for a mandate for a binding treaty.”
On the evening of 15th February, in the European Parliament's plenary session, 21 MEPs from across the political divide spoke to urge Commissioner Barnier to end the EU's opposition to a binding WIPO book treaty.
The oral question to the Commission arises from the European Blind Union and European Dyslexia Association's petitions submitted to the Parliament last September.
In his opening remarks, the Commissioner said that he was open to a binding treaty or non-binding guidelines. However, under pressure from all sides, Barnier said in his summing up:
“I want to find, in the weeks to come, sufficient agreement among EU Member States to actively pursue the treaty path. I will meet governments, one by one, and in a forthcoming Council meeting, I will ask for this mandate” [for a binding treaty].
The Commissioner promised to report back to the Parliament on his progress.
The European Blind Union warmly welcomes this new approach from the Commission, and looks forward to the Commissioner's words becoming actions. We will watch attentively and of course help the Commission where we can to achieve such a mandate from the Member States.
To underline its will on this matter, on 16th February the European Parliament voted unanimously in favour of a Resolution arising from our petition which calls on the Commission and Council to back a binding WIPO book treaty. See the link below for the Parliament's own news bulletin on this: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pressroom/content/20120216IPR38346/html/Binding-rules-to-ensure-blind-people%27s-access-to-books