FoMC Joins European Parliament Discussion on a Competitive Music Sector
On 23 June 2026, FoMC was represented at European Solutions for a Competitive Music Sector, an event held at the European Parliament in Brussels and presented by EMMA - European Music Managers Alliance together with MEP Hannes Heide and MEP Hélder Sousa Silva.
The discussion brought together policymakers and representatives from across the European music ecosystem to address the conditions needed for music in Europe to circulate, compete and thrive globally. While European music has significant cultural and economic strength, speakers underlined that this strength depends on policy frameworks that allow artists, managers, venues, festivals, labels, publishers and music organisations to work across borders under fair and sustainable conditions.
Key topics included the need to make the Single Market work better for touring artists, including by addressing withholding tax, VAT and administrative barriers. Participants also discussed market concentration and vertical integration in the live and recorded music sectors, as well as the need for better access to data, finance and structural support.
Several recommendations closely align with FoMC’s ongoing advocacy work, including the call for dedicated music support within AgoraEU, the creation of a European Music Observatory, and stronger recognition of music export, international development and B2B networking as essential parts of Europe’s cultural infrastructure.
The event also addressed the impact of AI and digital markets on creators, highlighting the need for transparency, meaningful consent, fair remuneration, discoverability and strong copyright protection. Speakers stressed that Europe’s competitiveness must be built around human creativity, cultural diversity and independent ecosystems, not only market growth.
For FoMC, the event was an important opportunity to contribute to the wider European conversation around music policy and to strengthen exchange with partner organisations working on mobility, fair market conditions, cultural diversity and sustainable support structures for the sector.
The message from Brussels was clear: European music has the talent, diversity and ambition to succeed internationally, but this potential can only be realised if EU policy turns recognition into practical action. FoMC will continue to support this work and advocate for a stronger, fairer and more connected European music ecosystem.
