WHO WE ARE

The European Writers’ Council – Fédération des associations européennes d’écrivains – (EWC-FAEE) AISBL

• raises awareness for the role of professional writers and literary translators in society;
• represents the interests of its 220,000 individual authors through advocacy for the respect and improvement of the writers and literary translators’ moral, legal, and economic rights, and their social status as authors;
• defends the diversity of languages in Europe, multilingualism, and the lesser written languages and their authors;
• advocates for the diversity of literatures in Europe and celebrates its writers and translators, i.e., Day of European Authors (24-27 March) World Book Day (23 April), and the European Day of Languages (26 September), and other activities;
• supports and contributes to improve legal and regulatory frameworks for the protection of copyright in digital and/or analogue contexts, and the authors’ status in support of fair contractual conditions, through contributions to the European Parliament, the European Commission, and WIPO;
• stands up for the democratic principles of freedom of speech, and freedom of information;
• promotes equality, inclusion, and diversity, and highlights the role of women writers and translators in society;
• facilitates international and trans-European co-operation, and brings to light the value of the literatures of Europeas an important part of European heritage;
• monitors and conducts surveys on the effects of COVID-19 from 2020-2023, i.e., “The Economic Impact of Covid-19 on Writers and Translators in the European Book Sector” (02/06/2020) and “One year of Crisis – The Winter of our Discontent” 2020-2022 (02/11/2021), and: The Unseen Sequels (June 2023).

International qualifications:

The EWC has been an Official Observer of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) for over two decades, and is since 2022 Observer in the sessions of the governing bodies of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
EU Transparency Register Number: 56788289570-24

Historical background: Doing the Rights thing since 1977

The EWC was originally founded in 1977 (Berlin) as the European Writers’ Congress. The first statutes were adopted in 1985, and modified in 2003. EWC began a new era on 21 September, 2006, with its official constitution as an International Non-Profit Association under Belgian law, as Association Internationale Sans But Lucratif/AISBL. In 2009, the official name in English was changed to European Writers’ Council, with the registered acronym EWC.

The EWC Working Groups 2021-2023, 2023-2025

Working Group on Copyright and Economy is under the leadership of Nina George, President of Honor and Commissioner for Political Affairs, who works with Maïa Bensimon, Vice President, on all relevant copyright issues as they emerge, and with a focus on regulation of artificial intelligence.
Working Group on Social and Cultural Policy is under the leadership of President Miguel Ángel Serrano.
Working Group #freeallwords. Alena Makouskaya (EWC Board Member) as Project Team Leader, together with Eystein Hanssen (Vice President 2023-2025), Maïa Bensimon (Vice President 2021-2025), and EWC Board Member Arno Jundze (2023-2025). Further members are Nicole Pfister Fetz (Secretary-General of the EWC), Aliaksandra Dvaretskaya (project assistance and coordination) and Ramam Ambramchuk (Media and PR).
Task Force E-Lending under the leadership of Eystein Hanssen (Vice President 2023-2025) and Monika Pfundmeier (elected Board Member of EWC 2023-2025) with Maïa Bensimon (Vice President 2021-2025), Nina George (Political Commissioner), Linda Lappalainen (SANASTO, EWC associated Member). Members 2021-2024 had been Jens J. Kramer (outgoing Chair, Syndikat e.V., Germany), Kevin Doyle (outgoing Chair, Irish Writers’ Union).

The EWC as a member of external working and experts groups (selected list)

Member of PLR International Steering Committee. Representative Nina George (1/9/22-1/9/2025).
Member of CW! Working Group E-Lending (from 2022-04/2024): Nina George, Maïa Bensimon.
Member of the IFRRO PLR Forum: Nina George, Nicole Pfister Fetz.
Member of the Round Table “Reading Europe” of the European Commission (2022-2023): Miguel Ángel Serrano, Maïa Bensimon.
Member of IFRRO Working Group Out of Commerce Works Guide (2020-21)
Member of the Technical Group EUIPO Portal (2020-2021)

Organisations interested to apply for membership:

Please contact ewc.secretariat{at)europeanwriterscouncil.eu for further information, subject: EWC Membership Application.

European Writers’ Council (EWC) – Fédération des associations européennes d’écrivains (FAEE) AISBL, Constitution in Brussels, Belgium, as Association internationale sans but lucratif – AISBL, International not-for-profit Association. Date : 21-09-2006. Registration nr. 886.193.681. EWC – European Writers’ Council ® registered European Union Trade Mark, Nr. 018810808. EU Transparency Register: 56788289570-24