On the occasion of the Franco-German Council of Ministers held in Berlin on 31 March 2015, Fleur Pellerin, Minister of Culture and Communication, signed with Heiko Maas, Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection of the Republic of Germany, in charge of intellectual property issues, a joint statement on copyright. 

Adopted with a view to establishing common positions that France and Germany will defend together with the European authorities and their European partners in the framework of the copyright reform initiated by the European Commission, this declaration highlights the convergence of the two States' views on this issue. 

In particular, the two ministers stress that copyright must be promoted as the foundation of creative activity and that it must play a key role in stimulating cultural diversity, creativity and innovation. They detail eight principles that will guide them in the European debates, including the remuneration of creators, the need to take into account the economic models of the cultural and creative industries whose importance is central to the European economy, and access to works by taking advantage of digital resources.

Fleur Pellerin thus deepens an intense cooperation with Germany, marked by a trip on the occasion of the Berlinale to award the Franco-German literary prizeFranz Hessel on 9 February and a joint visit to the European Parliament on 3 March with Monika Grutters, Federal Delegate for Culture and Media. 

This Franco-German dialogue is nourished by fruitful relations between civil societies, notably with the relaunch on 21 March in Paris of the Franco-German High Cultural Council, led by Catherine Trautmann and Thomas Ostermeier, works on copyright and improving the inclusion of culture in European policies.