11. Considers that private copying levies should be payable by manufacturers or importers; notes that if the levy were transferred to retailers, this would result in an excessive administrative burden for small and medium-sized distribution companies and collective rights management organisations;

11. Considers that private copying levies should be payable by manufacturers or importers; notes that if the levy were transferred to retailers, this would result in an excessive administrative burden for small and medium-sized distribution companies and collective rights management organisations;

P. whereas disparities exist between the various models and collection rates for private copying levies, including as regards their impact on consumers and the single market; whereas a European framework needs to be laid down in order to afford a high degree of transparency for rightholders, manufacturers and importers of equipment, consumers and service providers across the Union and whereas, to preserve the underlying stability of the system in the digital age in these days of the single market, the royalty arrangements in many Member States should be modernised and a European framework creat ...[+++]ed in order to guarantee the application of equivalent conditions to rightholders, consumers, manufacturers and importers of equipment and service providers across the Union;

P. whereas disparities exist between the various models and collection rates for private copying levies, including as regards their impact on consumers and the single market; whereas a European framework needs to be laid down in order to afford a high degree of transparency for rightholders, manufacturers and importers of equipment, consumers and service providers across the Union and whereas, to preserve the underlying stability of the system in the digital age in these days of the single market, the royalty arrangements in many Member States should be modernised and a European framework create ...[+++]d in order to guarantee the application of equivalent conditions to rightholders, consumers, manufacturers and importers of equipment and service providers across the Union;

F. whereas the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the collective management of copyright and related rights and multi-territorial licensing of rights in musical works for online uses in the internal market, which was adopted by Parliament and the Council on 4 February 2014, reinforces the fact that the management of copyright requires particular emphasis on the transparency of the flows of remuneration collected, distributed and paid to rightholders by collecting societies, including for private copying;

Monsieur Brunet, perhaps you could begin on behalf of the Canadian Private Copying Collective (0950) Mr. Claude Brunet (Legal Counsel, Ogilvy Renault, Canadian Private Copying Collective): Merci, madame la présidente.