European Commissioner Michel Barnier Keynote Speaker At MidemNet 2011

PARIS, FRANCE (Top40 Charts/ MIDEM) - Michel Barnier, the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, will deliver a keynote speech at MidemNet on Saturday 22 January 2011, ahead of the 45th MIDEM music market in Cannes.

At Commissioner Barnier's initiative, the European Commission launched a public consultation in August 2010 on the future of electronic exchanges in the internal market and the implementation of the "electronic trade" directive (2000), whose development, 10 years on, remains limited to less than 2% of total European trade.

Michel Barnier will outline for MidemNet participants his vision of copyright law in Europe and the position of creative industries in a digital pan-European content market, notably with regard to music.

"Political decisions today have a major influence on the establishment of the economic models of tomorrow for the music industry," said Dominique Leguern, Director of MIDEM. "In keeping with our long-standing role as an economic and political forum, we are delighted that MIDEM will this year provide a platform for the point of view of a leading European figure, Commissioner Michel Barnier."

French Foreign Minister from 2004-2005, special adviser to the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, in 2006, Commissioner Barnier is today responsible for a wide range of Commission initiatives in the fields of financial services, public-sector markets, the free circulation of services, intellectual property and professional qualifications.