Cannon welcomes EU Regulation on portability of online content services

Minister for the Diaspora and International Development, Ciaran Cannon, has welcomed a new EU Regulation ensuring that people from Galway and across the country will be able to access their online subscriptions wherever they are travelling in the EU.

Minister Cannon said: “An EU Regulation came into force on 1st April in all EU Member States ensuring that Europeans who buy or subscribe to films, sports broadcasts, music, e-books and games in their home Member State are able to access this content when they travel or stay temporarily in another EU country.

“Those who will benefit from this include: Consumers who reside in the EU with new rules enabling them to watch films or sporting events, listen to music, download e-books or play games – when visiting or staying temporarily in other EU countries; Providers of online content services: they will be able to provide cross-border portability of online content to their subscribers without having to acquire licences for other territories where the subscribers stay temporarily.

“The interests of right holders are safeguarded to avoid abuses. Removing the boundaries that prevent Europeans from travelling with digital media and content subscriptions is yet another success of the Digital Single Market for European citizens, following the effective abolition of roaming charges that consumers all over Europe have enjoyed since June 2017.

“So wherever you are in Europe, you will never miss out on your favourite Irish sports broadcasts, TV series, films, games or e-books, that you have digitally subscribed to at home.”

ENDS