ECSA, FERA and FSE, representing freelance authors in Europe, have welcomed the publication today by the European Commission of draft guidelines on the application of EU Competition law to collective agreements regarding the working conditions of solo self-employed persons.

According to ECSA, FERA and FSE, “the draft guidelines offer a positive assessment of the potential benefits of collective bargaining for improvement of the working condition of the self-employed. In particular, we are pleased to note that the Commission proposes not to intervene in respect of any collective agreements negotiated by authors and performers in pursuance of the relevant provisions of the 2019 Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market.“

FSE (Federation of Screenwriters in Europe) is a network of national and regional associations, guilds and unions of writers for the screen in Europe, created in June 2001. It comprises 27 organisations from 22 countries, representing more than 8,000 professional screenwriters in Europe.