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By members and allies: News — Statements — Surveys

EWC co-hosted the PLR International Conference in Paris

September 29, 2026

Shouldn’t we be talking more about public lending right? On 23 and 24 September, the European Writers’ Council (EWC) co-hosted the PLR International Conference in Paris, bringing together over 50 representatives, including from nine EWC organisations and the global book and literacy sectors to discuss…

EWC Welcomes the Launch of a European Literacy Coalition

September 27, 2026

On 22-23 September 2026 the launch took place of a new initiative of the European Commission: the European Literacy Coalition. Earlier in the year, dozens of literacy organisations and partners, including the European Writers’ Council (EWC), had met in Warsaw to workshop the key goals…

EWC denounces AI Tech’s practice of shredding books and calls on Europe’s decision-makers to take a firm stand

September 25, 2026

Project Panama: When is « too much » going to be enough? The EWC condemns the AI tech practice of « destructively scanning » millions of old or rare European books and calls upon decision-makers and the whole of our European society to speak up loudly on behalf of…

EWC welcomed as new stakeholder at the EUIPO Observatory Plenary Meeting

September 19, 2026

From 15th-16th September, the Observatory of the EUIPO in Alicante / Spain held its annual plenary meeting. MEPs, European Commission representatives and IP stakeholders and observers participated in the plenary and discussed ongoing IP policies, impacts, and enforcement. (more…)

EWC joins forces with altogether 14 organisations to promote improvements of the AgoraEU programme

September 17, 2026

Ensuring AgoraEU can effectively support authors, performers, and other artists and cultural workers across all cultural and creative sectors Joint comments and voting recommendations on the proposed amendments to the AgoraEU programme Brussels, 17 September 2026 Dear Member of the Culture and Education (CULT) Committee, …

EWC is co-founder of the European Literacy Coalition, launched on 22 September 2026

September 16, 2026

The Coalition acts as a multi-stakeholder network joining forces to strengthening cooperation to promote literacy and reading in Europe. The initiative is part of the European Commission and its Union of “Skills strategy and Action Plan on Basic Skills” and gathers 40 stakeholders – with…

EWC joined the CommonsDB Final Conference: To register or not, that is the question

September 15, 2026

On 14th September 2026, the CommonsDB consortium (Open Future Foundation, Wikimedia Sverige, Europeana Foundation, Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK) and the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam) organised the project’s final conference, hosted by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante,…

AI FOMO leads to turning a blind eye on damages done: EWC’s Response on the Call for Evidence “AI Strategy for the CCS”

September 11, 2026

RESPONSE by the EUROPEAN WRITERS’ COUNCIL CALL FOR EVIDENCE FOR AN INITIATIVE (without an impact assessment):“AI Strategy for the Cultural and Creative Sectors” –Ref. Ares(2026)7389748 – 27/07/2026 To the attention of Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture – Unit D1 for Cultural Policy Brussels,…

EWC @ Frankfurt Book Fair: Our Events between 7th-11th October 2026

September 9, 2026

The EWC will be welcoming members, readers, and guests at the forthcoming Frankfurt Book Fair. Our federation will be represented by President Sebastià Portell, Secretary General Nicole Pfister Fetz as well as Commissioner for Political Affairs and international bestselling author Nina George at the Frankfurt…

Cultural and Creative Sectors in the Age of AI: EWC’s Call for a Change in Europe’s Mindset

September 1, 2026

Own-Initiative Report on Cultural and Creative Sectors in the Age of AI (2025/2180(INI)), Rapporteur: Hélder Sousa Silva MEP, CULT Submission by the European Writers’ Council (EWC): Europe’s competitiveness does not lie primarily in simply replicating the same model, albeit with a few more legal safeguards.

EWC’ Toolkit for a Perfect Author’s Meeting

August 31, 2026

The EWC created a Toolkit for a Perfect Author’s Meeting with the aim of providing guidance to the organisers when it comes to planning, contacting, hosting and accompanying a reading or a meeting with an author. Toolkit for a perfect author’s meeting by EWC and…

8 Demands for a sustainable future of Authors’ Right in the era of so-called AI: EWC response on the CALL FOR EVIDENCE

July 1, 2026

“Report on the review of the Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive / Targeted initiative for a better copyright environment for European creativity and innovation” This initiative by the Directorate General CNECT – Unit I.2 and under the lead of EP Vice-President Henna Virkkunen…

EWC AGM 2026 – What we did, decided, learned, exchanged …

June 23, 2026

EWC‘s Annual General Meeting took place in Brussels on 12th, 13th, and 14th June. Words and Poetry as a Meeting Point On Friday, 12th June, EWC began the Annual General Meeting with a Welcome Reception at the Maison Européenne des Auteurs et des Autrices (MEDAA),…

Brussels, Belgium, June 2026, AGM EWC. © Fred Guerdin ©eyecone

Critical Voices in Critical Times

June 16, 2026

EWC Statement pdf: EWC Statement adopted by the AGM 2026 The European Writers’ Council (EWC), representing over 260,000 professional authors in the text and book sector, calls for the recognition of the Writer as Critical Infrastructure for the cohesion and integration of our societies. Societies’…

The present delegates of the EWC member associations from all over Europe are reading the statement in a public action in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, 13th June 2026. Picture: (c) eyecone

Defending The Writer as Critical Infrastructure

June 16, 2026

European authors from 27 countries convene in Brussels to defend the role of the Writer as critical infrastructure Brussels, 15th June 2026 Press release The 55 Member organisations of the European Writers’ Council (EWC), representing 260,000 writers and translators from 34 countries, call on governments, public institutions, and cultural stakeholders…

Press Release: European Writers’ Council – AGM 2026, Brussels

June 8, 2026

Press Release European authors from 27 countries convene in Brussels to defend the role of the Writer as critical infrastructure Brussels, 8th June 2026 EWC turns Brussels into the European Capital of Literature From 12th to 14th of June 2026, Brussels is turning into the…

EWC Position Paper on the 5th Anniversary of the entry into force of the Directive on Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Single Market (EU) 2019/790 on 7th June 2026

June 1, 2026

Dear Member States, dear European Commission: Thanks for nothing! The Directive (EU) 2019/790, once praised as a milestone for protecting authors and intended to close the value gap, is today suffering from massive misinterpretations. National implementations leave book authors with no means of enforcement and…

Council of Europe says “Yes to Authors’ Rights” and “No to the TDM exceptions for AI” – but when will the European Commission ever see reason?

May 29, 2026

While the 46-nation international organisation PACE, speaking on behalf of 700 million Europeans firmly upholds the values and rights of authors, the EU AI Office persists in its misguided stance on the TDM exception. The EWC calls on the Commission to listen to PACE’s arguments.…