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Dear Colleagues Apologies for cross-posting. Thank you all so much for your support which has really made a huge difference! Our personal and institutional lobbying of MEPs has been extremely successful. The LAC has voted in favour of the Common Position with just a few minor amendments, none of which hurt libraries too badly. It next goes to the full EU Parliament which can either accept or reject but not amend the Directive (debate Feb 13th and vote on 14th). If it rejects, it goes to a Conciliation Committee consisting of MEPs, eurocrats and Council of Ministers representatives. Let's hope very much it doesn't get there. I will e-mail again should further lobbying of MEPs be required in the next week. The UK ones have been pretty supportive but if EBLIDA asks us to, we may need to get them to influence their European colleagues in their parliamentary party groupings for the full parliament vote so please stand by in case we are called again! Don't, however, jump the gun as we must follow EBLIDA's line and timing or the MEPs will get confused. News reports on what has been the most lobbied directive ever in the history of the EU: * Legal affairs on copyright compromise. The European Parliament's legal affairs committee agreed yesterday to compromise on far-reaching amendments proposed to the EU's legislation on copyright and agreed to keep in place many of the exceptions agreed by EU countries to the copyright rules for institutions such as libraries but will face 'the mother of all battles' to get the amendments approved by the entire parliament next week. Financial Times 06/02/01 p9 * EU and the digital space cowboys. The jostling surrounding the most lobbied directive ever. Financial Times 05/02/01 p15 * Internet copyright may be enforced. Article quoting Teresa Hackett (EBLIDA) on the proposed amendments to the EU copyright directive, which could result in libraries losing their rights to fair dealing copying. Times Higher 02/02/01 p56 Many thanks to you all. Library power does count! Barbara Stratton Information Manager, Members' Information Centre, The Library Association E-mail: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask]