The Council of the European Union on Monday adopted the Copyright Directive which "modernises existing EU copyright law to pave the way towards a true digital single market" and provides "adequate protection for authors and artists."

The directive was endorsed by a qualified majority of the member states, with 19 countries voting in favour, six against and three abstaining.

In late March, Croatian Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek called on the European Parliament to adopt the proposed Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market and thus support the views of authors and creative professionals.

The chairman of the EU Council, Romanian Culture Minister Valer Daniel Breaz, was quoted as saying today that he was very glad “that we have achieved a balanced text, creating multiple opportunities for Europe’s creative sectors, which will thrive and better reflect our cultural diversity and other European common values, but also for the users, whose freedom of expression on internet will be consolidated.”

“This is a milestone for the development of a robust and well-functioning digital single market,” the Romanian minister said.

Following the signature and publication of the directive in the Official Journal of the EU, member states will have 24 months to transpose the new rules into their national law.

The directive addresses a variety of issues, including the adaptation of copyright exceptions/limitations to the digital and cross-border environment, the improvement of licensing practices to ensure wider access to creative content and achievement of a well-functioning marketplace for copyright, the EU said on its website.

The directive also “enshrines authors’ and performers’ right to appropriate and proportionate remuneration upon the licensing or transfer of their rights and introduces a transparency obligation concerning the exploitation of licensed works, as well as a remuneration adjustment mechanism, accompanied by a dedicated alternative dispute resolution mechanism. Software developers are excluded from these rules.”