Creative Industries Vital for the EU
(2008 03 19 23:21)
Slovenia's Minister for Growth Ziga Turk interviewed by EurActiv said that supporting creative industries through better intellectual property protection and the development of world-class IT infrastructure must become a priority for the EU.
According to Minister Turk, the "creative economy" is already an area where Europe has a global advantage, thanks to its strong "cultural heritage", its taste for "beautiful things" and its "excellent designers and architects".
He added that "The creative industries in Europe are stronger than the car industry. And it is the creative industry that makes the difference between a coffee cup worth €0.05 and a coffee cup worth €5, even when manufacturing costs, somewhere in China, are almost the same for both of them,"
The minister emphasised that in order for this to work, the EU must strengthen its intellectual property protection system for brands, designs, as well as digital content, "The Community patent has been on the agenda for a long time and it is high time to move forward on this one," he commented. “The benefits of having a European patent are much bigger than any potential benefits related to languages and translation."
The full interview is availabe on the EurActiv website