Putting the Creative and Media Industries at the Centre of Plan to Make EU the Leading Knowledge-driven Economy

Brussels, 3 November 2004

A group of Europe's top creative businesses, media and industry associations have joined forces today to launch the Creative and Media Business Alliance to give the sector a strong and united voice in Brussels. This launch coincides with the presentation today of the Kok report which assesses the EU's progress towards creating the world's most competitive knowledge-driven economy by 2010.

The Alliance calls for a re-thinking of the "Lisbon Agenda" which sets out the EU's plan for achieving a knowledge-driven economy. The results achieved so far are unsatisfactory, or even "a failure", according to the just-published Kok Report. No substantial progress has been made with growth and employment in Europe in the past five years, let alone with competitiveness.

One of the failures of the Lisbon agenda is its one-sided focus on new technologies. This approach neglects the fact that a dynamic and competitive Information Society will not be created by hardware technology and distribution networks alone. Creative and media businesses are more than a mere driver for technology deployment or 'added value' to the Lisbon Agenda. They are the true value of the Information Society.

Together, the creative and media business sectors invest in, produce and disseminate a huge array of content that educates, informs and entertains Europe's citizens. They include newspaper, book, magazine, database, portal and web-publishers, music companies, broadcasters and film producers as well as advertisers - all of which help create content (songs, music, information, articles, stories, poems, films, shows) and make it commercially successful. It is this creative content which people are looking for when they are connecting to the internet, activating their broadband connection, switching on their 3G mobile phone or choosing a channel on their digital TV service.

The creative and media sector is thus the true heart of the Information Society. Without it, the Information Society would be nothing more than empty pipes and boxes. If Europe wants to become more competitive by the year 2010, it must foster the innovation, growth and prosperity of Europe's creative and media businesses.

For press inquiries, contact:

Francine Cunningham Tel: +32 (0)2 511 92 08, Email: francine.cunningham@ifpi.org;
or Heidi Lambert, Tel +44 1245 476 265, E-Mail: heidilambert@hlcltd.demon.co.uk

COMMENTS FROM ALLIANCE MEMBERS

Francisco Pinto Balsemão, Chairman of the European Publishers Council, said:
"The information society is just pipes and cables without content. A knowledge-driven economy requires high quality content provided by a competitive and dynamic creative sector. The focus of all EU initiatives is, in our experience, totally new-technology focused with content industries left on the side lines. If this imbalance is not corrected, there is no hope of achieving the Lisbon goals by 2010."

Jay Berman, chairman and CEO, IFPI, said:
"Within the Lisbon agenda, the focus until now has been on information and communication technologies. Half of the equation is missing. Only when the true value and contribution of creative industries is recognised and put at the centre of the process, will progress be made towards achieving a competitive knowledge-based society."

Sir Crispin Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Reed Elsevier, said
"The creative industries operate in a high growth sector with an important role to play in the growth and development of local economies, education and cultures. Our role as a publisher is to add value to creative work, bring it to a wide audience through our publishing activities and protect the intellectual copyright of every article we publish. "

Eric Nicoli, Chairman, EMI Group plc, said:
"Copyright industries now generate 5.3% of Europe's GDP, and this is growing each year. Without proper IP protection no creative business can exist, let alone prosper.

Europe has a key role to play in protecting those intellectual property rights that underpin our creative economy. In the future, a strong, effective intellectual property regime will be a competitive advantage for the EU and could help make Europe the location of choice for innovation and creativity."

CONTACT DETAILS FOR ALLIANCE MEMBERS
Ann Becker
Lagardère
Délégation aux affaires européennes
Rue Froissart 59
B-1040 Brussels, Belgium.
Tel: +32 (0)2 280 08 46
Fax: +32 (0)2 280 31 47
E-mail: lagardere.bruxelles@lagardere.fr
Web: www.lagardere.com

Anne Bergman-Tahon
Director
Federation of European Publishers
204, Avenue de Tervuren
1150 Brussels, Belgium
Tel +32 (0)2 770 11 10
E-Mail: abergman@fep-fee.be

Ross Biggam
Director General
Association of Commercial Television in Europe,
Rue Joseph II 9-13
Brussels B 1000, Belgium
Tel: + 32 (0)2 736 0052
Fax: + 32 (0)2 735 4172
Mobile: + 32 477 407 733
www.acte.be

Irene Braam
Director Public Policy and Government Affairs
Universal Music International
34, Boulevard de la Woluwe
1200 Brussels, Belgium
Tel : +32 (0) 775 81 80

Dr. Oliver Gray
Director General
European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA)
rue de la Pépinière, 10A
B - 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: + 32 (0)2 513 7806
Fax: + 32 (0)2 513 2861
E-mail: oliver.gray@easa-alliance.org
Website: http://www.easa-alliance.org

Patrick Grüter
Vice President
Government Relations Europe
The Walt Disney Company
Tour & Taxis, Havenlaan 86C B217 Avenue du Port
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 2631 338
E-Mail: patrick.gruter@disney.com

Sara John
Vice President, Government Affairs
EMI
27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5SW
Tel : + 44 (020) 7795 7523
Fax : + 44 (020) 7795 7524
Mobile: + 44 07876 474914

Anne J Joseph
Director, EU Governmental Affairs
Reed Elsevier Group plc
Tel : +44 (020) 7166 5720
Fax : +44 (020) 7166 5659
Email: anne.joseph@reedelsevier.com

Carolina Lorenzon
Mediaset S.p.A.
Director, International Affairs
EU Liaison Office
Rue Joseph II, 9/13
B - 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: + 32 (0) 2 735 5553
Fax: + 32 (0)2 735 4019
E-mail: rep@mediaset.be

Christopher Marcich
Senior Vice President and Managing Director EMEA
Motion Picture Association
Rue du Trône 108
B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: + 32 (0)2 778 27 11
E-Mail : chris_marcich@mpaa.org
www.mpaa.org

Angela C Mills Wade
Executive Director
European Publishers Council
26 Avenue Livingstone
B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 231 1299
Mobile: +44 7785 32 7878

Frances Moore
Regional Director, Europe
IFPI - representing the recording industry worldwide
Tel: + 32 (0)2 511 92 08
Fax: +32 (0)2 502 30 77
www.ifpi.org

Valtteri Niiranen
Director
European Newspaper Publishers' Association
29 Rue des Pierres, Bte 8
B - 1000, Brussels, Belgium
Tel: + 32 (0)2 551 01 90
Fax : + 32 (0)2 551 01 99
E-mail: valtteri.niiranen@enpa.be
www.enpa.be

Dr Martina Peucker
Director Government Relations
Brussels Liaison Office, Bertelsmann AG
Chaussée d'Etterbeek 166
1040 Brussels, Belgium
Phone +32 (0) 2 230 4417
Fax +32 (0) 2 230 3754
www.bertelsmann.de

Frances Seghers
Senior Vice President
Sony Entertainment EC Affairs
Sony Pictures Europe House
25 Golden Square
LONDON W1F 9LU, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7533 1525
Fax: +44 (0)20 7533 1524
E-mail: frances_seghers@spe.sony.com