Michael McNamara presses Presidency on copyright and AI
Michael McNamara MEP asks the Minister what concrete steps the Irish Presidency will take on copyright and how it will build consensus between Member States, governments and AI companies. He raises whether the Irish Government has met tech firms in Dublin and whether February 2025 AI Advisory Council recommendations will feed into the Presidency's actions.
Parliamentary context: With the Commission's call for evidence closed and the European Parliament adopting its position by a strong majority in March, McNamara pressed for clarity on the next steps from the Irish Presidency. He emphasised the divisive nature of copyright and remuneration between Member States, governments and AI companies.
Industry presence in Ireland: McNamara noted that many AI technology companies have major European headquarters or substantial operations in Dublin, and asked whether the Irish Government has met them separately to hear their stance on copyright and remuneration.
Advisory recommendations: He also queried whether the Government has adopted any recommendations from its AI Advisory Council issued in February 2025, and whether those recommendations will influence the Presidency's concrete proposals on copyright and AI.
Implications for policy: McNamara framed the issue as a balance between protecting artists' property rights and ensuring access to data needed to develop European AI, calling for transparent steps from the Presidency and clear engagement across stakeholders.
Parliamentary context: With the Commission's call for evidence closed and the European Parliament adopting its position by a strong majority in March, McNamara pressed for clarity on the next steps from the Irish Presidency. He emphasised the divisive nature of copyright and remuneration between Member States, governments and AI companies.
Industry presence in Ireland: McNamara noted that many AI technology companies have major European headquarters or substantial operations in Dublin, and asked whether the Irish Government has met them separately to hear their stance on copyright and remuneration.
Advisory recommendations: He also queried whether the Government has adopted any recommendations from its AI Advisory Council issued in February 2025, and whether those recommendations will influence the Presidency's concrete proposals on copyright and AI.
Implications for policy: McNamara framed the issue as a balance between protecting artists' property rights and ensuring access to data needed to develop European AI, calling for transparent steps from the Presidency and clear engagement across stakeholders.
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Transcript
Thank you Minister, and you're very welcome today. I also wish to focus on copyright unsurprisingly, which the Irish Presidency has flagged as a point of priority in their Presidency programme. So now that the Commission's call for evidence has closed and the Parliament has adopted its own position by a strong majority in March, could you please outline what steps, concrete steps that the Presidency intends to take in this regard, and how it plans to foster consensus across this issue, which is quite a divisive issue, between Member States and between governments and AI companies. Many of those AI tech companies have their European headquarters in Dublin, or if not, have a substantial presence there. I'm just wondering, my viewer, has your government met directly with them to hear their position on copyright and remuneration, separate from any EU process, because they are of course quite hostile to any increased remuneration for what many in Europe would regard as an essential property right that is held by our artists. On the other hand, most in Europe would equally agree that we need to develop our own AI and that requires data. So it is a very difficult issue. I don't think there are easy answers, but what I want to know is what answers you're bringing forward on behalf of the Commission. And lastly, your own advisory council, the Irish Government's AI Advisory Council, put forward a set of recommendations in February 2025, and I'm just wondering, has the government formally taken any of those recommendations on board, and if so, will any of them feed into the concrete steps that you will be proposing as part of the Presidency? And thank you.