4.11.92 NoC287/53 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
5.TheRoleofSmallFirmsandtheSelf-Employed ■
Smallandmedium-sized firmsandtheself-employed ,
particularlythecraftssector,-playanimportantrolein
thelabourmarketinallECMemberStates.Their
contributiontocountries'nationalproductisstillextra­
ordinarilyhigh.Abovealltheyplayaspecialrolein
thetrainingofyoungpeopleandshoulderthemain
vocationaltrainingburdeninmanyMemberStates.The
ESCiscurrentlypreparinganown-initiativeOpinionon
theroleofsmallandmedium-sizedenterprises (SMEs)
inwhichtheirimportanceasemployersandtheirrole
invocationaltrainingwillbethoroughlyexamined.6.Environmental ProtectionandLabourMarket
Policy
Environmental protectionistodayinthemindsofall
sectionsofthepopulation.Environmental compatibility
andconsumerfriendlinessaretodayanintegralpartof
aproduct'squality.Industriesactiveinenvironmental
protectionaresectorsofinnovationwithprogressive
technologyinallcountriesoftheCommunity .They
arehelpingmoreandmoretocreatenewjobsand,
aboveall,jobswithafuture.
Anotherimportantsectorforthelabourmarketiswaste
recycling,whichtheESCthinksshouldbegivengreater
attention.Norshouldoneoverlookthegrowing
importanceofsectorsdealingwithenergy-saving .
DoneatBrussels,2July1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveharmonizingthetermofprotectionof
copyrightandcertainrelatedrights(*)
(92/C287/14)
On23March1992theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon10June1992.TheRapporteur
wasMrPardon.
Atits298thPlenarySession(meetingof1July1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedbyamajority,with17dissentingvotesand6abstentions,thefollowingOpinion.
1.Generalcomments
1.1.TheaimoftheproposedDirective—tohar­
monizethetermofprotectionofcopyrightandcertain
relatedrights—reflectstheconcernvoicedbythe
Committeeonmanyoccasions.1.1.1.Forinstance,initsOpinion(2)of25January
1989ontheGreenPaperonCopyrightandthechallenge
oftechnology—Copyrightissuesrequiringimmediate
action,theCommitteeregretted(point2.6)the'lackof
uniformityinthecontentofcopyrightandthetermof
copyright'.Itcalled(point3.1.2.3)foranurgentstudy
ofthetermofcopyright:formulaemustbefound'for
(!)OJNoC92,11.4.1992,p.6. (2)OJNoC71,20.3.1989.

NoC287/54 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 4.11.92
bringingaboutharmonization oftheprotectionperiods
forthevariouscategoriesofworksandotherproducts;
whichisincreasinglynecessaryiftheinternalmarket
oftheCommunityistooperateatoptimumefficiency'.
1.1.2.TheCommitteethereforewelcomestheCom­
mission'sproposal.anceandthenumberofsignatorystatesisstill
expanding.ItisvitalthatallMemberStatesaccede.
1.3.3.Confrontedwiththeproblemofpiracy,itis
intheinterestsofCommunityrightsholdersprotected
bytheseinstrumentsthattheminimumlevelofprotec­
tionensuredshouldbeguaranteedinasmanynon-EC
countriesaspossible,withoutprejudicetothemore
detailedprovisionsofbilateralormultilateralagree­
ments.Itisdesirablethatnon-ECcountriesshould
becomepartytotheseinstruments .
1.3.4.Withthisinmind,theCommitteewelcomes
theMemberStates'undertakingtoaccedetotheParis
ActoftheBerneConventionandtotheRomeConven­
tionby1January1995,iftheyhavenotalreadydoneso,
andtoensureeffectivecomplianceundertheirnational
legalsystems.
1.3.5.TheCommitteeconsidersthatitisintheinter­
estsofCommunityholdersofcopyrightandrelated
rightsthatnon-ECcountriesshouldratifyoraccedeto
theParisActoftheBerneConventionandtheRome
Convention .1.2.TheCommissionjustifiestheneedtoundertake
suchharmonization primarilyonthefollowing
grounds:theproposedharmonization andreinforce­
mentofcopyrightprotectionwill
—beconducivetoinnovationandcreationwithinthis
sphere;
—helpdismantlebarrierswithintheECandsolve
problemsconnectedwithfreemovementofgoods;
—checkdistortionofcompetitionandbeapractical
contributiontowardsfurtheringtherightofestab­
lishmentandfreeprovisionofservices;
—ensuregreaterlegalcertaintyandfacilitatemanage­
mentoftherelevantintellectualpropertyrights;
—promoteeffectiveactiontocurbpiracyandunlaw­
fulimportsfromnon-ECcountries;
—beakeyfactorinboostinginvestmentinthecul­
tural,scientificandcreativesphereswithinthe
Community .1.3.6.TheCommitteejoinswiththeCouncilincall­
ingontheCommission,whennegotiatingagreements
betweentheCommunityandnon-ECcountries,toplace
particularemphasisontheratificationof,oraccession
to,theseinstrumentsbythenon-ECcountriescon­
cernedaswellasoneffectivecompliancewiththeir
provisions.
2.Specificcomments1.3.TheCouncilResolutionof14May1992,which
aimstoimproveprotectionofcopyrightandrelated
rights,hastheCommittee'sfullapproval.
2.1.ThetermofprotectionvariesfromoneMember
Statetoanother.
1.3.1.LiketheCouncil,theCommitteetakesthe
viewthattechnologicaldevelopmentshavefacilitated
exploitationofworksonaninternationalscale;hence
itisimportanttoconsolidateprotectionofcopyright
andrelatedrightsatnational,Communityandinter­
nationallevels.2.1.1.Inthecaseofcopyright,tenoftheTwelve
haveoptedfortheminimum50years'periodprovided
forintheBerneConvention,whilethreeapplyspecial
wartimeextensions.However,Francegrants70years'
protectionpostmortemauctorisfor'musicalcompo­
sitionswithorwithoutwords'.
1.3.2.Inviewofthedegreeofprotectiontheirpro­
visionsensureforliteraryandartisticworksandthe
rightsofperformers,producersofphonogramsand
broadcastingorganizations ,theBerneConventionfor
theProtectionofLiteraryandArtisticWorks,asrevised
bytheParisActof24July1971(ParisActoftheBerne
Convention),andtheInternationalConventionforthe
ProtectionofPerformers,ProducersofPhonogramsand
BroadcastingOrganizations of26October1961(Rome
Convention )haveenlistedwideinternationalaccept­2.1.2.Allworksareprotectedfor70yearsp.m.a.in
Germanyandfor60yearsp.m.a.inSpain.
2.1.3.Thetrendindraftlegislationandinternational
agreementsistoextendthetermofprotection :infuture
copyrightprotectionisto.be70yearsp.m.a.inBelgium
andGreece.TheworkoftheWorldIntellectualProp­
ertyOrganization isfollowingthesamelines.

4.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC287/55
2.1.4.Thetermofprotectionofrelatedrightsdiffers
substantiallyfromcountrytocountry(0,20,25,30,40
and50years).Hereagaindraftlegislationtendsto
favouranextension(50yearsinBelgium,Netherlands
andGreece).—theadvantagesofevergreaterprotectionofthe
consumerandthefacilitationofaccesstoourliter­
aryheritageataffordableprices,especiallyinthe
developingworld,wouldnotbeassistedbythe
unilateralextensionofthedurationofprotection
bytheCommunity ;
—incaseofharmonization atalevelof50years,the
safeguardingofacquiredrightsinMemberStates
withprotectionrightsofmorethan50yearsisnot
aseriousproblemastheexampleofSpain,which
hasalreadyintroducedananalogousreduction,
clearlydemonstrates ;
—anextensionoftheperiodofprotection,withthe
subsequentincreaseinthepatrimonyunderprotec­
tion,couldresultnotinareductionbutindeedin
anincreaseinthephenomenonofpiracy.
2.3.Inspecificcaseswherethetermofprotection
onlystartstorunaftertheauthor'sdeath,thecriterion
determiningthestartofthisperiodisthedatewhen
theworkislawfullymadeavailabletothepublic.
2.3.1.Relatedrightsofperformersrunfor50years
fromthefirstpublicationofthefixationoftheperform­
anceor,iftherehasbeennosuchpublication,fromthe
firstdisseminationoftheperformance .
2.3.2.Relatedrightsofproducersofphonograms
runfor50yearsfromthefirstpublicationofthephono­
gram.
2.3.3.Relatedrightsofproducersofthefirstfix­
ationsofcinematographic worksandofsequencesof
movingimagesexpire50yearsafterthefirstpubli­
cation.
2.3.4.Relatedrightsofbroadcastingorganizations
runfor50yearsfromthefirsttransmissionofabroad­
cast.
2.3.5.Asinthecaseofcopyright,theharmonization
proposedforrelatedrightscannotcompromiserights
acquiredunderexistingnationallaws.2.2.TheCommission isproposingthatcopyright
shouldbeprotectedthroughouttheauthor'slifeand
for70yearsafterhisdeath,irrespectiveofthedatewhen
theworkislawfullymadeavailabletothepublicC1).
2.2.1.TheCommissionmotivatesthisproposal
mainlyonthefollowinggrounds:
—harmonization mustnotcompromise rights
acquiredunderexistingnationallaws;astwoMem­
berStatesapplyatermofprotectionlasting70years
p.m.a.inonecaseand60yearsp.m.a.intheother,
andinotherMemberStatesthis50years'period
isextendedincertaincircumstances ,Community
harmonization shouldbealignedonthis70years'
termtoavoidrecoursetolengthytransitionperiods
whichwoulddelaytheeffectiveattainmentofthe
internalmarketaccordingly ;
—thepurposeofposthumousprotectionistoenable
theauthor,andtwogenerationsofhisdirect
descendants,tobenefitlegitimatelyfromthefruits
ofhiscreation;inviewofincreasedlifeexpectation,
theminimumdurationof50yearsp.m.a.provided
forintheBerneConventionshouldbeextended;
—alongtermofCommunityprotectionprovidesa
highlevelofprotectionforauthorsandtheirrigh­
tholdersandplaysakeypartinstrengtheningcopy­
rightprotection;
—suchatermofprotectionisasinequanonincertain
sectorswherethepublicationorcreationofworks
necessitatessubstantialinvestmentswithlengthy
amortizationperiods.
2.2.2.TheCommittee,whiletakingintoconsider­
ationthereasoningcontainedinpoint2.2.1withwhich
theCommissionjustifiesitsproposals,hasnevertheless
consideredthefollowingarguments :
—thepresentworldsituationinwhich90%ofthe
BernConvention'ssignatoryStateshaveoptedfor
adurationof50years,underlinesthenecessityfor
harmonization ataworld,andnotjustatCom­
munitylevel,ifbarriersarenottobecreatedfor
thirdcountries;3.Conclusions
3.1.IntheCommittee'sview,itisessentialthat
protectionofcopyrightandrelatedrights,inparticular
thetermofprotection,shouldbeharmonizedthrough­
outtheCommunity .
3.1.1.TheCommissionmustendeavourtoensure
thatnon-ECcountriesrespecttheserights.
(')Article1(1)oftheproposedDirective.Forspecificcases,see
Article1(2)to(6).3.2.TheCommission'sproposalforatermof
protectionof70yearsafterthedeathoftheauthor

NoC287/56 4.11.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
isconsistentwiththecurrentlawofonlyone
MemberState.ThemajorityofMemberStateshave
nolongerthan50yearsafterthedeathoftheauthor.
FurtheraCommunityagreementon50yearsmaybe
amoreusefulbasetofacilitateinternationalagreement
onthetermofprotection.Inthesecircumstances the
Councilshouldgiveseriousconsiderationtoadoptionof50yearsafterthedeathoftheauthorratherthan
70years.
3.2.1.Whateverdifferencesofopinionmayexiston
thispoint,theCommitteewouldstressthatthecruxof
thematteristhatthistermofprotectionshouldbe
exactlythesameinallMemberStates.
DoneatBrussels,1July1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH