Brussels, 5th July 2022 – Today the European Parliament formally endorsed the Digital Services Act (DSA), which has been presented as a landmark piece of legislation to modernise obligations for online intermediaries and platform services.
Creativity Works!, Europe’s leading coalition of the creative and cultural industries, recognises that the DSA takes some first welcome steps towards an improved legal framework for fighting the spread of illegal content online and enhanced consumer protection in the digital sphere. However, we believe that the EU institutions have missed an opportunity to ensure that illegal content online is swiftly and permanently removed; and to secure broader transparency regarding the identity of online commercial players. We continue to regard these elements as essential for protecting EU citizens.
“Creativity Works! calls on the Commission to ensure that the DSA obligations – especially those protecting investment and creativity – are effectively enforced”, said Laura Houlgatte, Chair of Creativity Works!.
Our industries support the recognition of the importance of trusted flaggers (incl. private entities), the mechanism for repeat infringers (incl. fines), and the establishment of the Know-Your-Business-Customer principle.
Creativity Works! strongly encourages EU and national decision-makers to ensure that the DSA will serve as further incentives for all players in the online ecosystem to act responsibly. The new obligations aim to protect users, citizens, consumers and businesses alike – they are essential to help us continue offering cultural diversity, quality content, innovative services and access options.
We also remain faithful that the European Commission will use the horizontal basis of the DSA to propose specific legal instruments to tackle with greater effect issues faced by our sector, notably continued rampant piracy.
Laura Houlgatte, Chair of Creativity Works!, concluded: “Together our industries employ 15 million people1 (directly and indirectly) in Europe, making us the third largest employer in the EU2. Our sectors remain committed to culturally enriching the lives of EU citizens, and we hope the DSA will allow us to continue making this happen.”
1 IPR-intensive industries and economic performance in the European Union” study, EUIPO & EPO, 25th September 2019, see table p. 8
2 European Commission, June 2016 – Boosting the competitiveness of cultural and creative industries for growth and jobs by Austrian Institute for SME Research and VVA Europe and VVA
