Reforming copyright rules could boost opportunities for people working in the research, education and cultural heritage preservation sectors, MEP Theresa Comodini Cachia has said. 

Speaking at a Digital Assembly 2016 question and answer session to discuss the Copyright Framework update proposed by the European Commission earlier this month, Dr Comodini Cachia insisted that copyright was not a barrier preventing creative content from thriving online.  

“I want consumers to have better access to more films, music, art, performances and other cultural content,” she said, arguing that copyright reform would help bridge the gap between analogue and digital opportunities. 

"This is our opportunity at making culture more available across borders. It is also our opportunity to support teachers in classrooms and eLearning processes as well as unleash the potential of data analysis," she said. Dr Comodini Cachia is the European People's Party group spokesperson on copyright. 

Teaching, text and data mining and the preservation of cultural heritage are the three sectors the European Commission would like to have enshrined as exceptions to digital and cross-border environments. 

The Commission has proposed two directives and two regulations to adapt existing EU copyright rules to the digital age. The proposed reforms seek to make it easier to distribute video and audio content across borders, make them more easily available on video-on-demand platforms and make works that are out-of-commerce more easily shareable.