Independent music company's global organisation WIN has warned the European Commission that the proposed acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings by Universal Music Group "must be blocked outright" as the merger of the two companies poses "grave risk" to "fair competition" in the music market. EU's competition authorities launched an in-depth investigation into the transaction in July 2025. In November, following an in-depth investigation to assess the potential impact of the transaction, the Comm...

Cyprus, which assumes the Presidency of the European Union from January 1 to June 30, has vowed to "support efforts for a robust copyright framework" as part of the EU's Intellectual Property agenda. The Presidency will also and monitor "the developments related to emerging technologies and their impact on intellectual property rights," according to the country's published programme. Details of the proposed IP agenda have not been disclosed yet. The Presidency will also "drive progress" on the ...

The Republic of Moldova has officially ratified at the end of 2025 the 2nd September 2025 agreement to join Creative Europe, becoming the 41st participating country in the EU's programme, which supports the cultural and creative sectors. From 1 January 2026, Moldovan organisations, artists, and cultural professionals are eligible to participate in the actions published under the Culture strand of the current programme. They will be able to benefit from EU funding on equal terms with peers across...