Axel Voss replaces Terese Comodini Cachia as Rapporteur for the Copyright Directive

 

15 June 2017

Report from EPP Group announced Axel Voss of Germany as the newly appointed rapporteur for the Copyright Directive, replacing Terese Comodini Cachia of Malta. Whilst Voss indicated that they will continue to work from the existing draft version of the bill, EuroActiv notes some important diversions on opinions between the two MEPs. In particular, Voss and the German CDU party support the full implementation of the controversial press publishers right. Cachia’s position had “softened” on this point before standing down as rapporteur, in particular, proposing a new Article 11(1) “presumption of representation” (giving press publisher’s legal capacity to sue, without the full intellectual property rights initially proposed).