EPC joins the SPUR Coalition to help shape a fair and sustainable AI ecosystem

The European Publishers Council (EPC) is pleased to join the SPUR Coalition as an affiliate member, alongside a growing international community of publishers, media organisations and industry associations committed to developing practical solutions for the relationship between journalism and artificial intelligence.

Commenting on EPC's participation, Angela Mills Wade, Executive Director of the European Publishers Council, said:

"Generative AI presents significant opportunities, but it must not be built on the uncompensated use of professionally produced journalism. Publishers need effective tools to exercise their rights, meaningful transparency regarding the use of their content, and functioning markets through which value can be fairly exchanged. The European Publishers Council is pleased to join the SPUR Coalition and contribute to the development of standards that support transparency, accountability and sustainable licensing practices. The future of AI and the future of quality journalism must develop together."

The announcement, made at the World News Media Congress in Marseille, marks a significant expansion of the coalition and reflects a growing recognition across the global publishing industry that the future of AI and the future of professional journalism are closely intertwined.

Generative AI systems increasingly rely on high-quality content to train, fine-tune, ground and improve their services. Much of that content originates from publishers that invest substantial resources in journalism, editorial oversight, fact-checking, legal compliance and the production of trusted information. Yet the mechanisms through which that content is accessed, monitored, controlled and licensed remain underdeveloped.

For publishers, the challenge is not whether AI should develop. Innovation in AI has the potential to bring significant benefits to society, consumers and businesses. The challenge is ensuring that AI develops within a framework that respects intellectual property rights, promotes transparency and supports sustainable investment in original content.

This is where initiatives such as SPUR can play an important role.

The coalition aims to develop technical standards and operational frameworks that help publishers understand how their content is being used across the AI value chain and, where publishers choose to license their content, facilitate more transparent and efficient licensing markets.

Across Europe and internationally, policymakers are examining how copyright, competition law, platform regulation and AI governance frameworks should interact. Discussions surrounding implementation of the AI Act, the review of the DSM Directive and broader debates on AI transparency all point towards the same conclusion: markets cannot function effectively where there is insufficient visibility over how content is being used.

EPC looks forward to contributing to SPUR's work and supporting the development of standards and practices that encourage innovation while respecting rights, promoting transparency and helping to build a sustainable future for both journalism and artificial intelligence.

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SPUR Member Press Release Final 3 June 26.pdf

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