Press release: ALDE demands a clear commitment to the Marrakesh Treaty

Press release from the ALDE group:

Only five per cent of the literature published in Europe is published in accessible formats, adapted for blind and visually impaired persons, such as Braille, large print and audio books. The Marrakech treaty adopted in summer 2013 allows for literature adapted for visually impaired persons to be freely used across borders without having to take copyright rules or other trade restrictions into consideration. However, the ratification of the treaty is still blocked by a minority of EU member states, and therefore, the agreement has not yet entered into force in the EU.

Today the European Parliament, at the request of the Petition Committee’s Chairwoman Cecilia Wikström (Sweden, Liberalerna), approved a resolution urging EU member states to accelerate the ratification of the Marrakesh treaty.

Cecilia Wikström, Chair of the PETI Committee, comments:

”The lack of commitment from EU Governments to reach a constructive agreement on the Marrakesh treaty is a clear violation of the right to easily accessible information, which is an important part of the UN convention on rights for people with disabilities.”

”After four years of delays, it’s time to find a political solution in support of blind and visually impaired persons’ right to accessible literature. European citizens have waited long enough. ”