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INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS

FIM

La Fédération Internationale des Musiciens, fondée en 1948, est l’organisation représentant les syndicats, guildes et associations professionnelles de musiciens au niveau mondial.

Lobbying Activity

Response to A Culture Compass for Europe

8 May 2025

The International Federation of Musicians (FIM) represents professional musicians and their trade unions in 60 countries, including 21 EU Member States. The OMC working group report on the Status and Working Conditions of Artists and Cultural and Creative Professionals (2023) states: Art and culture are an integral part of our societies and enrich the quality of our lives in many ways. The ability of Art to imagine, to connect, to innovate and to bring people from different backgrounds and cultures together is becoming increasingly recognised at EU and Member State levels not only because of the intrinsic value of culture but also because of its proven social and economic impacts. It also recalls that many artists, whose careers are mainly driven by passion, are faced with precarious working conditions and a lack of legal structures to provide social protection and sustainable frameworks for their career development. In recent years, we have observed a decline in public funding and a rise in unfair contractual practices in the music sector, with the rapid development of disruptive technologies adding uncertainty to the mix. DG EAC has a key responsibility to ensure the rights of creative workers are adequately protected, particularly for those with little or no bargaining power. The issues requiring special attention include: 1. Remuneration of creators: Six years after the adoption of Directive 2019/7900, Art.18 fails to secure adequate remuneration for performers whose performances are made available online. Buy-out contracts remain the norm, thus depriving these workers of legitimate revenues. An evaluation of the Directive should be conducted, and the legal framework should be reviewed to ensure that the appropriate and proportionate remuneration of Art.18 effectively translates into revenues. 2. AI and Copyright protection: The unlawful mining of protected content by AI models began long before the adoption of Art.4 of Directive 2019/790 (TDM exception). Six years later, no standardised, machine-readable opt-out mechanism is in place, which makes it challenging or impossible to exercise this opt-out effectively. The third draft of the GPAI Code of Practice does not resolve this issue. On the contrary, it adds legal uncertainty and misinterprets EU copyright law. The Commission should implement adequate safeguards to protect the rights of creators and uphold European values. 3. Job quality: Jobs in the Music sector take several forms, including short-term contracts, project-based work, or freelancing. Artists must juggle multiple roles and short gigs to make ends meet. Despite high skills and dedication, many struggle to earn a living wage. New entrants are compelled to accept poor or unpaid terms. Therefore, improving job quality and developing inclusive social protection schemes that cover all forms of work in the sector should be high priorities. The Culture Compass should also promote collective bargaining and introduce social conditionality for publicly funded projects. 4. Cross-border mobility: Artists face numerous mobility challenges, including CITES-related regulations, double taxation, visa issues, and inconsistent, unfavourable airline policies regarding instrument transport. Unpredictable decisions by air carriers often result in cancelled performances and lost income. When carriers have a clear policy, its inconsistent application may lead to logistical and financial impacts, harming individual artists, entire bands or orchestras, and local economies. Art.6e of the EU Parliament legislative resolution of 5 February 2014 on the proposal for a regulation amending Regulation (EC) 2027/97 offered a well-designed response to these issues (similar to the FAA regulation adopted in the US in 2015). We urge the Commission to support the reintroduction of Art.6e in the relevant regulations during the upcoming trilogue negotiations.
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Response to Better protection for passengers and their rights

14 Mar 2024

Dear Sir or Madam, Please find attached a joint contribution from FIM and Pearle* on behalf of the European live performance sector, which needs an improved legal framework for transporting musical instruments by air or rail. Indeed, mobility within the EU is paramount for professional musicians, and inadequate restrictions may lead those carrying big musical instruments to impossible situations. We hope that this contribution will be of interest to you. Yours sincerely,
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Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

31 Jan 2024 · Meeting on the living and working conditions of artists and cultural workers.

Response to Wildlife trade – alignment of EU rules with recent decisions taken under the CITES convention and changes to EU ivory trade rules

25 Feb 2021

Dear Madam or Sir, The International Federation of Musicians was recently informed by the Commission about an interpretation rule that would create considerable challenges for music instrument makers, music ensembles and professional musicians. This new and unexpected interpretation makes it necessary for us to submit a complementary contribution regarding the use of pre-Convention ivory for instrument making and restoring. Please find this second contribution attached. Thank you very much.
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Meeting with Agnieszka Skonieczna (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton) and Association of European Performers’ Organisations and

18 Aug 2020 · Exchange on remuneration rights under the Copyright Directive and impact of the Covid crisis on artists and performers

Meeting with Szabolcs Horvath (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics) and Performing Arts Employers Associations League Europe and

17 Oct 2017 · Cross-border obstacles to taxation of performing artists

Meeting with Andrus Ansip (Vice-President) and

1 Oct 2015 · Intellectual property rights, platforms