Göpel, former sole shareholder of the historical picture archive for art and history (today akg-images), had been an active member in the German Association of Picture Agencies (BVPA) for a long time. He advocated for cohesion in the challenges of a mutual European market. There were plenty of reasons for this engagement: In those years, the first CDs with scanned images circulated and forward-looking agencies started to see the changes of the industry.
The exchange of ideas among the associations within the EU resulted in the decision to create a European association. Chaired by Alan Smith in London, the conference on 15th November 1992 led to the foundation of an European Federation of National Associations of Picture Agencies. One of the first decisions were that associations could have member status only. Justus Göpel was elected Chairman of the Steering Committee until the founding meeting. The overall consent was to create an European Association during the following meeting.
In 1993, on 8th and 9th May 8th the founding meeting of the European umbrella organisation was held in Berlin and was organised by the BVPA. The Coordination of European Picture Agencies – short CEPIC – was born as an EEIG – a European Economic Interest Group. The statutes were set up as well as a basic principle programme. A board of administrators was elected and Justus Göpel became CEPIC’s first President and was supported by the following Committee Members:
•Vice President: Marc Grosset (SAPHIR, France)
•Treasurer: Paul Brown (BAPLA, UK)
•Jean Desaunois (SAPP, France)
•Alfonso Gutierrez (AEAPAF Spain)
•Per Mortensen (NBBF, Sweden)
•Grazia Neri (GADEF, Italy)
The initiative aimed at the harmonisation of the copyright in Europe. For this purpose, EU countries were asked to set up associations as interest groups, and thus to create a unified voice in Brussels.
Former topics which have remained valid until today were:
• to regulate copyright.
• to fight for comparable trade regulations in all European countries with regard to the now existing different copyright laws in single countries.
• to support the exchange of information between European picture sources and diverse associations with similar interests worldwide.
• to develop and fight for ethical standards which will guarantee the protection of rights for all photographers, copyright holders and agencies.
• to develop guidelines for a fair business competition between photographers, picture agencies and users.
In the past, CEPIC’s activities were financed only with member fees and it took some years until it had been decided to organise a congress for the generation of higher turnovers. This money was essential and helped to finance a CEPIC Office in Berlin, to employ staff members and to lead the office professionally.
In 1995, Sylvie Fodor, today’s Executive Director, backbone and soul of CEPIC, was employed as administrator and gofer for all CEPIC activities, working only for a couple of hours per week. She created the CEPIC Newsletter which back then was spread as a printed version via post but helped to introduce the organisation internationally. Over the time, the annual picture industry congress became an indispensable international meeting place for agencies as well as archives. Today, the CEPIC Congress is the largest global gathering of the international picture community.
The congress brings together all national member associations during its Annual General Meeting. The different locations for each congress have always provided an attractive argument for attendees. In 1999, the first meeting was held in Stockholm and brought together 150 participants. In 2000, in Barcelona, 225 participant joined. Since then the congress became a real success in the following cities: Amsterdam, Budapest, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Prague, Biarritz, Florence, Malta, Dresden, Dublin, Istanbul, London. This year, we go back to Barcelona!
It is not only the European agencies that appreciate this most important gathering in the industry, participants attend from all over the world: China, South-America, Russia and the US, Mid East, Central Asia, Japan and Africa. The congress offers participants a unique opportunity to connect internationally and face-to-face.
Over the years, the following people were elected to the CEPIC Committee
•Jan Greve (NBBF)
•Alan Smith (BAPLA) President from 1997 to 2009
•Staffan Teste, (BLF)
•Marion Wedekind, (BVPA)
•Bernd Weise (BVPA)
•Peter Remmerssen (BVPA)
•Barbro Kaufmann (SBF)
•Roel Sandvoort (NL Image)
•Els van Rest (NLimage)
•Lola Mate (AEAPF)
•Stefan Wittwer (SAB)
•Pieter Doormann (NLimage)
Bernd Weise, former Executive Director from 1989 to 2010 of the German Association of Picture Agencies (BVPA) looks back and says: “The European interest group of picture agencies was an essential step in the consolidation of national picture markets and small-scale agencies and helped to support the exchange of information on business processes and legal harmonisation before the global online market and its digitisation devices and international acting picture suppliers entered the industry. Just like in any other industry, the picture business needed a platform for communication and an instrument for self-expression. These developments were essential for a changing market.”
In 2009, a new team took over and introduced a number of changes to the organisation:
•Christina Vaughan (President)
•Klaus Plaumann (Vice President, BVPA)
•Dominique Delouis (Treasurer, SNAPIG)
Sylvie Fodor became Executive Director and was responsible for the management of lobbying activities.
The website was re-designed and provides CEPIC Members an open space for comments and own industry articles.
CEPIC’s lobbying activities aim at the protection of intellectual property and Orphan Works. One of the results was a critical position paper on the Google Book Settlement. Together with ICOMP, CEPIC works on the protection of competitive market conditions and aims to be a united voice for the European associations, picture agencies, picture archives and photographers.
Sylvie Fodor who is actively engaged with these issues states:
CEPIC is very important for the picture industry because it represents members of many countries in and outside Europe. Among these are not only bigger global acting picture agencies, news agencies, historical archives/museums and their photographic collections but also many smaller agencies and single photographers. This is why we have a high visibility for the EU in Brussels and other institutions.
CEPIC represents currently eleven national associations with more than 800 picture agencies and approximately 50,000 photographers.
On this year’s AGM in Barcelona, a new Committee will be elected. The officers Christina Vaughan, Klaus Plaumann and Dominique Delouis are no longer available for a new run. Therefore, all national associations may now again shape the CEPIC according to their needs and aspirations. This is an opportunity to strengthen the European picture industry for the challenges of the future. For there is one thing that still holds true: Pictures will always be needed.
Klaus Plaumann
Vice-President
