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 160.000 individual members 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., 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 since 2020, 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 upcoming: The Unseen Sequels.

International qualifications:

The EWC has been an Official Observer of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) for over two decades, and since 2022 Observer in the upcoming 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.

Our EWC Working Groups

Working Group on Copyright and Economy is under the leadership of Nina George, President, who works with Maïa Bensimon, Vice President, on all relevant copyright issues as they emerge.
Working Group on Social and Cultural Policy is under the leadership of Vice President Miguel Ángel Serrano together with Nina George.
Working Group #freeallwords. Under the supervision of Nina George, with Alena Makouskaya as Project Team Leader, and Eystein Hanssen and Maïa Bensimon, EWC Board Members. External members are Nicole Pfister Fetz (General Director, A*dS, Switzerland), Susanne Heusler Tenzler (Communication and Events), and Aliaksandra Dvaretskaya (project assistance and coordination).
Task Force E-Lending under the leadership of Eystein Hanssen (EWC Board Member, Chair of the Task Force) and Monika Pfundmeier (Syndikat e.V., Germany, Vice Chair of the Task Force), with Maïa Bensimon and Nina George (EWC Board Members), Jens J. Kramer (Chair, Syndikat e.V., Germany), Kevin Doyle (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 (Since 1/9/22).
Member of CW! Working Group E-Lending (since 2022): Nina George, Maïa Bensimon.
Member of the IFRRO PLR Forum: Nina George, Eystein Hanssen.
Member of the Round Table “Reading Europe” of the European Commission (2022-2023): Miguel Ángel Serrano, Maïa Bensimon.
Member of the Representation Group of the European Delegation as Guest of Honour at the FIL at Guadaljara / European Commission: Miguel Àngel Serrano.
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 – Fédération des associations européennes d’écrivains – « EWC-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

The AISBL is governed by the provisions of Title III of the Belgian law of twenty seventh June nineteen hundred and twenty one on not-for-profit associations, international not-for-profit associations and foundations (articles 46 to 57).