OpenLobby.EU
Explore

Squire Patton Boggs LLP

SPB

Squire Patton Boggs is a full service global law firm with more than 40 offices across 4 continents.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Gerasimos Sofianatos (Head of Unit Communications Networks, Content and Technology)

22 May 2025 · General presentation of the company

Meeting with Paolo Garzotti (Acting Director Trade)

26 Mar 2025 · Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) discussed the EU Green Deal regulations.

Response to Proposal on the conditions for the remuneration of third country recorded music played in the EU

20 Sept 2022

SoundExchange (SX) is a US non-profit organisation formed by and for the recorded music industry to administer royalties for the digital transmission of recorded music. It collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of recording artists and master (i.e. sound recording) rights owners on behalf of major and independent record labels, performers and their representatives (managers and agents) as well as musical performers’ unions. Specifically, SX provides products and services to its 570,000-plus global creator community, with roughly 90,000 located in Europe. SX has reciprocals in place with CMOs across 15 countries in Europe, ensuring that royalties for the digital transmission of recorded music originating by European artists are appropriately attributed in Europe. We welcome the Commission’s efforts to analyze the economic impact of the RAAP Judgment, however we believe the principle outcome of the RAAP Judgment remains the commitment of member states to provide national treatment to all performers and phonogram producers, regardless of nationality. More importantly, the Court explicitly held that the right to a single equitable remuneration (‘SER’) constitutes, in the European Union, a right related to copyright and is an integral part of the protection of intellectual property enshrined in Article 17(2) of the Charter (paragraph 85 of RAAP Judgment) and cannot be denied through the application of “reciprocity.” Thus, we strongly believe there are solid legal grounds justifying why the Commission should not introduce the concept of reciprocity in the implementation of the RAAP Judgment. Based on the Opinion of the Advocate-General Tanchev, the fundamental right to property in the form of equitable remuneration prevails over any notion of reciprocity, and the opposite cannot be the case. The Court made clear that any such limitations to the right to have copyright protected (to cater for reservations or otherwise) can only be introduced by the EU legislature in full compliance with Articles 17(2) and 52(1) of the Charter. As such, any interference with that right by amending Article 8(2) of the Directive must be approached with extreme caution as deprivation of the rights of US performers to a SER would place the notion of reciprocity before the obligation to protect fundamental rights which has a higher position in the hierarchy of norms upon which the EU legal system is based. We therefore believe that any proposal by the Commission to restrict or introduce the notion of reciprocity into a revised version of Article 8(2) is highly constrained by the “guardrails” of Article 52(1) of the Charter. Any such limitation to introduce reciprocity must respect: (i) the essence of the rights to property and copyright protections; (ii) the principle or proportionality; (iii) the need to be necessary and genuine; and (iv) the objective of meeting the objectives of general interests recognized by the Union. Those requirements are cumulative in character, meaning that they all have to be satisfied to comply with the rigors applied under Article 52(1) of the Charter. Finally, as the Court pointed out at Paragraph (70) of its judgment, the EU did not give notification of a reservation under Article 15(3) of the WPPT and is, consequently, currently mutually bound by Article 4(1) and Article 15(1) thereof. Therefore, under the Court’s own reasoning, the Commission would be required to introduce new arrangements with third countries that are parties to the WPPT (by creating EU reservations) before amending internal EU measures to introduce the notion of reciprocity. We welcome the Commission’s critical review of the legal considerations we have laid out in our response justifying why we consider the reciprocity principle should not be introduced based on the RAAP Judgment. We thank you for your attention and would remain at your disposal for any additional input needed.
Read full response

Meeting with Maria da Graça Carvalho (Member of the European Parliament)

20 May 2022 · Horizon Europe program, with a particular focus on the health matters - establishing an R&D framework and ecosystem for abandoned or shelved compounds - Neurofibromatosis

Response to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

2 Mar 2020

The Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) Europe welcomes the European Commission’s Roadmap, which outlines the high-level objectives of the forthcoming Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. CTF Europe also welcomes the political drive with which the European Commission leadership is advancing the efforts in such a far-reaching disease. CTF Europe is a Belgian foundation concerned with neurofibromatosis (NF). NF is a family of three rare genetic tumor suppression syndromes (NF1, NF2, Schwannomatosis), mostly starting as a pediatric condition with an overall incidence of 1 in 3000. CTF Europe has the mission to drive research, expand knowledge and advance care for the NF community. NF causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and can lead to blindness, deafness, disfigurement, and disabling pain. NF1 patients also suffer from bone abnormalities and learning challenges. NF tumors are most often non-cancerous, but a small proportion of the tumors become highly malignant. Compared to the normal population, NF patients are twice as likely to develop cancer. NF genes are highly relevant to better understanding cancer, as many somatic NF mutations can be found in various types of cancer such as lung, brain, breast, colorectal, ovarian, prostate, and acute myeloid leukemia, among others. Therefore, while cancer has such a far-reaching effect, we strongly believe that benign tumors (such as NF tumors), which are often neglected but can benefit from similar treatments, can be highly useful for the development of better treatments for cancer. Discoveries in NF will thus help cancer research and vice versa. While we agree with the Roadmap’s positioning regarding the risk factors to prevent cancer, we consider that another key aspect of prevention and early detection of cancer would come from funding research on benign tumors and malignant transformation of benign tumors. Research infrastructures could include comprehensive clinical networks (such as the ERN), cancer registries, and biobanks. CTF Europe has observed that ERN suffers from lack of funding and would therefore highly encourage increased funding for their centers. The biomarker discovery and development could also bring very positive results in the prevention and prediction of cancer and other cancer predisposition syndromes. We estimate that there is a high need for an EMA-endorsed comprehensive European biomarker platform to support efforts around early cancer diagnosis, detection, and malignant transformation of benign tumors. We support the Roadmap’s reference to the knowledge gap and availability of data. An ambitious health data governance framework that would abolish silos, encourage data sharing, and foster trust in the utilization of real world evidence data, would be essential in that aspect. In addition, even though the Cancer Mission Board was conceived prior to the Beating Cancer Plan, we strongly believe that there is an urgent need for worldwide policies around the availability of preclinical models, clinical data etc. There should also be an emphasis on the research and innovation element within the Beating Cancer Plan, as well as a strong coordination with the Cancer Mission Board in order to ensure an alignment between the objectives and the results of the Beating Cancer Plan. This should also be reflected in large-scale research funding initiatives especially on cases of rare cancers, pediatric cancers and cancer predisposition syndromes. Finally, regarding the quality of life for cancer patients, we fully encourage the need to continue supporting initiatives that include the patient voice in research (e.g. through European Patients’ Forum, Eurordis). CTF Europe believes that there is an urgent need for more tolerable and effective treatments that can reduce the health challenges of survivors. Current survivors need to be supported in getting their lives back on track, reintegrating into society, and – depending on their age – into work life.
Read full response

Meeting with Nele Eichhorn (Cabinet of Vice-President Cecilia Malmström) and Portland PR Europe Limited and LEVA-EU vzw

19 Jun 2018 · Light Electric Association

Meeting with Aurore Maillet (Cabinet of Vice-President Karmenu Vella)

26 Oct 2017 · Plastic Strategy

Meeting with Grzegorz Radziejewski (Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen) and FIPRA International SRL and

26 Oct 2017 · The New Plastics Economy

Meeting with Christian Burgsmueller (Cabinet of Vice-President Cecilia Malmström)

20 Oct 2016 · TTIP, TPP, EU-US relations

Meeting with David Mueller (Cabinet of Vice-President Johannes Hahn)

1 Aug 2016 · Rule of Law in Romania and barriers to investments, impacts on EU policies