Europe’s Export Offices Join Forces

Pollstar’s European News Correspondent met Peter Smidt at Midem in Cannes, France. The creative director of Eurosonic Noorderslag is part of EMEE’s board, besides chair Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdottir of NOMEX and general secretary Virgo Sillamaa.

Smidt explained that the different export offices had been meeting in the past to exchange experience. Founding EMEE was simply a matter of making it official no sooner than the European Commission approved a euro 1.46 billion package for Europe’s creative industries.

The most important point on EMEE’s agenda is to “create opportunities for European repertoire in Europe,” Smidt said. “An artist from Bosnia may have fans in Belgium.”

It was EMEE’s job to make sure such acts got around. Thirty years of Eurosonic Noorderslag together with the European Talent Exchange Programme have already achieved a lot in that regard but, according to Smidt, “more is possible. Just because it’s good it doesn’t mean it can’t still improve.”

Another aim is for export offices to assist each other in areas such as taxation, making sure that promoters and artists aren’t double taxed. Different EU countries have different standards, after all. While many countries have a dedicated music export office, some have been around longer than others, meaning the newly established ones can now learn from the elder offices. Other countries do not possess a music export office at all.

They in particular can profit from EMEE’s packed practical knowledge. Smidt emphasized that the organization wanted to continue what Jean-Francois Michel started in 2004 with the formation of the European Music Office, an organization to keep Europe’s politicians up to date on the needs of Europe’s music industry.

EMO was discontinued after its founder passed away in 2011.