Activities of Diana RIBA I GINER related to 2023/2053(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The future of the European book sector (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the future of the European book sector
Amendments (56)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
– Having regard to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas books and their authors play an essential role in our societies, as an invaluable source of knowledge, education, culture, information and entertainment and a vital means of preserving and disseminating the EU’s values, cultural and linguistic diversity and cultural heritage;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas European publishers that are SMEs or even microenterprises play a crucial role in guaranteeing cultural diversity in publishing;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the entire book sector value chain relies on the balance between the various actors, such as authors, publishers, translators, booksellers and libraries, and ends ultimately on readers;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas authors are the creative source of all books;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the vast majority of European publishers are SMEs or even microenterprises;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas bookshops and libraries are the focal point for readership development and reading promotion, whilst contributing to social and digital inclusiveness;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the ability of the European book sector to provide the public with a wide range of books relies partially on an effective copyright and respected authors' rights framework that allows each part of the value chain to remunerate creationauthors and their creation equitable and invest in new books;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the book sector plays an essential role in fostering freedom of expression, which can only be exercised by ensuring freedom, independence, diversity and editorial responsibility within the authorship and the publishing industry;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the governments of some Member States have exerted influence and regulatory pressure on the book sector, which negatively impacts on freedom of expression and conflicts with EU values;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas readers, including young ones have shown a continued preference to read printed books;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the rise in costs for the sector, inflation and the paper crisis have posed significant challenges to the book sector and substantially hindered its competitiveness;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas authors' collective bargaining is key to ensure transparency of the use of the authors’ works;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
Kb. whereas the diversity of sources of literature and knowledge is fundamental to the European book sector, and it encompasses, among others, the presence of women and other minorities in the value chain, the creation in a variety of genres, as well as works on lesser spoken and printed languages, and all of them are crucial to protect European cultural and linguistic diversity;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
Kb. whereas the lack of interoperability between e-book formats reinforces the position of dominant market players, whilst restricting consumer choice and protection;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Underlines the benefits of promoting reading aloud in early childhood as a crucial tool for developing literacy skills;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Notes the increase in screen time, in particular for the younger generations, and therefore stresses the importance of the promotion of reading on paper for young children as an irreplaceable tool for development by contributing to children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the value of books as tools for the inclusion of groups at risk of marginalisation, in particular people lacking digital skills, minorities and persons with disabilities;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Underlines the need to ensure a balance in the book ecosystem by fulfilling the specific roles of the various actors of the value chain, such as authors, publishers, printers, distributors, translators, booksellers and libraries;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote cultural diversity by setting up specific programs aimed at protecting and promoting creation, dissemination, translation, and publishing production in Europe's regional and minority languages;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Invites the Commission in its mid- term review of the Creative Europe programme 2021-2027 to introduce measurable goals on how funding is used to improve the accessibility of books for persons with disabilities;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Encourages the Member States to develop an integrated policy for the promotion of literacy practices and competences, such as National Reading Plans, involving local authorities, culture, science, technology, and educational policies; stresses the importance of such plans to promote reading habits, writing, and multiple literacies, namely, cultural, scientific and digital, addressed to all population segments in an inclusive manner;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Stresses the importance of school libraries as places playing a significant role in providing access to knowledge, fostering reading habits, constructing safe spaces for people to share and socialise, and providing valuable opportunities for literacy development; underlines the importance of school librarians and their role providing guidance to students and therefore the need for their appropriate training;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Supporting authorship and promoting better circulation of European books within Europe and beyond
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase the budget for the Creative Europe programme for 2028- 2034, in particular by dedicating more funds to the book sector, especially with broader programmes for writers, and to expand support for the sector through the Horizon Europe programme for 2028- 2034;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Encourages the establishment of an EU residency programme for writers, creators, and translators, aimed to help to showcase their work, integrate among the European community of authors and translators and gain experience through the exchange;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the Member States to foster cultural diversity by increasing the acquisition budget of libraries, so that they can further expand the range of books that they offer, ensuring their freedom to build collections that respond to communities’ needs according to professional judgement alone, that their ability to serve their users cannot be undermined by contracts and digital locks, and that they are protected from public and private efforts to censor books, including for children, and supporting local bookshops;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to support the translation of European books, in particular by enhancing public funding at both national and European levels so as to improve the circulation, visibility and diversity of translated books; Calls as well to support the development of national minimum standards for decent working conditions for translators and authors;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to support the creation and translation of European books, in particular by enhancing public funding at both national and European levels so as to improve the circulation, visibility and diversity of translated books;
Amendment 91 #
8a. Underlines the importance of the mobility and exchanges between authors in order to facilitate their creative work and improve their opportunities to gain new professional experiences abroad;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Welcomes the new mobility action Culture Moves Europe in the frame of the Creative Europe Programme offering mobility grants to artists and cultural professionals, in particular for literary translators;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 e (new)
Paragraph 8 e (new)
8e. Underlines that 2023 has been declared the European Year of Skills and calls on the Member States in this regard to support the education and training programs dedicated to the various actors of the book sector;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises the importance of the EU Prize for Literature, which highlights the creativity and diversity of contemporary EU fiction, promotes the circulation of EU literary works and encourages greater interest in EU non- national literary works; Calls to ensure a wider outreach of the Prize;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls for the EU Prize for Literature to foster linguistic diversity by promoting particularly works in European regional and minority languages;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Supports further promotion of the EULP in the Member States, including via the creation of an EU category for European children’s books;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Notes that although women are the backbone of the book sector as authors, publishing employees and readers, they continue to be under-represented in senior executive positions within publishing industry; stresses that data has shown that the publishing industry suffers from a massive diversity problem in terms of race, sexual orientation, and disability1a; _________________ 1a Women in the gentleman’s career of publishing [Princeton University Press] https://press.princeton.edu/ideas/women- in-the-gentlemans-career-of-publishing Women in publishing: addressing the glass ceiling [Genpol thinktank] https://gen-pol.org/2018/01/women-in- publishing-addressing-the-glass-ceiling/
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Underlines the positive role taken by influencers to promote books on social media in an innovative way, thus fostering reading and European culture among younger generations;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the Member States to support measures encouraging children to build their personal library, recognising the exposure to books as an integral part of social practices that foster long-term cognitive competencies;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for more support for certain literary genres and for children’stheir authors, and for children’s and young adult books, in particular, to be promoted by establishing a ‘first book programme’ or similar initiatives to encourage the creation of children’s books and reading at national level;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Encourages the Commission to guarantee a long-lasting legacy of the Day of European Authors and other similar initiatives and calls to set up clear objectives and measurable indicators to better evaluate their impact;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Underlines the social role of libraries as places where citizens meet with authors and exchange views, in particular in small towns and less developed regions;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Commission to promote joint and coordinated initiatives between the book sector and the areas of education and social welfare at European level, as well as in the individual Member States;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Deplores the growing abuse and attacks against bookshops and libraries, as well as the increasing censorship of inclusive books; Underlines the role of bookshops and libraries as safe and welcoming spaces, where neither censorship nor violent acts should be tolerated;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Paragraph 15 c (new)
15c. Notes with concern the increasing censorship trends worldwide, and the work of a growing number of advocacy organisations that have made demanding censorship of certain books and ideas in schools part of their mission; condemns legislation to restrict the teaching or presence of certain books or concepts related especially on those from historically marginalised backgrounds such as the LGTBIQ+ community;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the various initiatives to support Ukraine since the beginning of the war, and particularly those to ensure that children have access to books and to facilitate the integration of refugees and the protection of Ukrainian culture; Calls for similar initiatives to be promoted in other conflict contexts;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses the importance of accessibility to writing and supporting writing as high priorities; Recalls that freedom of expression in the book sector starts with the protection of freedom of expression of the individual writer, with access to opportunities of creation for writers of all financial classes, origins, genders, religions, and languages, and with a legal, social and appreciating framework that allows writers to work independently and under artistic freedom;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Acknowledges that libraries are curated, public, safe spaces where people of all kinds of backgrounds meet and that function as centers from which reading and cultural activity is energised; Stresses the importance of encouraging cooperation among public libraries all over Europe as an opportunity to build culture of solidarity between individuals and communities, across differences, borders and nationalities;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Encourages the Commission and Member States to promote the acceleration of the transformation of the publishing sector by fostering policies of collaboration between the actors involved in the process including authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers; Calls to move towards a publishing process based on environmentally-friendly criteria following principles of proximity and sustainability, minimising and communicating the environmental impacts of publications;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges the potential benefitchanges for the sector due tof the use of artificial intelligence (AI), such as automated text analysis, metadata tagging, online discoverability and professional translation automation tools; underlines certain challenges for the sector in this regard, such as the lack of transparency in relation to AI training;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Encourages the Member States and the Commission to impulse training policies for actors such as authors, translators and publishers so they can be equipped with the knowledge and skills to adapt successfully to the transformations of the sector as a consequence of the artificial intelligence (AI);
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Underlines the importance of collecting data from publishers in order to display the origins of all parts of the book through the entire production chain, including information on paper certification and place of production;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Stresses the importance of having up to date and comparable data on reading habits and literacy competences, especially for children; Recalls Eurostat has not updated its data on reading habits since 2016;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls on the Member States to put in place transparency measures on ownership concentration of publishing houses, which would help safeguard pluralism and freedom of expression, along with helping readers make informed decisions;