Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy has confirmed that the European Commission will assess the effects of the recommendation on combating online piracy of sports and other live events by November 2025 and on that basis, consider if additional measures are needed at EU level.

A written question from a group of European Parliamentarians – Combating online piracy of live events close to two years after the recommendation’s adoption – noted that in May 2023, the Commission issued a recommendation aimed at combating the unauthorised retransmission of sports and other live events. This non-legislative act sought to enhance the protection of live content.

The Commission indicated that it ‘will assess whether additional measures are needed at Union level’, including legislative, ‘taking due account of the findings of the EUIPO Observatory’. Executive Vice-President Virkkunen pledged to ‘consider additional measures if these recommendations do not have the expected impact’.

However, the Commission has been postponing a robust response to the endemic issue of online piracy for many years, they allege.

“Efficient and enforceable measures mandating online intermediaries to suspend illegal retransmissions before the end of the live window are crucial to protect the viability of the live events industry in Europe,” they say.

Accordingly, they asked two questions:

1. What concrete steps is the Commission taking to prepare for the 17 November 2025 deadline?
2. Will the Commission take legislative action in the realm of online piracy of live content?

In response, Virkkunen wrote:

“The Commission, supported by the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights hosted by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (‘EUIPO Observatory’), has been actively monitoring the effects of the 2023 Recommendation on combating online piracy of sports and other live events.”

“The Observatory conducted in the first quarter 2025 the first of two foreseen data collection exercises, aimed at gathering relevant evidence on the impact of the recommendation from rightholders, intermediaries and national authorities.”

“The data collection exercise is based on several Key Performance Indicators published by the Commission in July 2023, after consultation with relevant stakeholders.”

“The recommendation also entrusted the EUIPO Observatory to create a Dedicated Network of administrative authorities as a forum to exchange on measures, procedures and remedies applied to tackle online piracy of live events at national level.”

“Four meetings of the Dedicated Network have taken place to date, and these have allowed to gather valuable information on the measures put in place in the Member States and on their impact and efficiency, as well as on the good practices and challenges faced in tackling online piracy.”

“Additionally, the Commission recently published a Call for evidence to collect stakeholders’ views on the effects of the recommendation and the remaining challenges.”

“Based on the information collected throughout this process, the Commission will assess the effects of the recommendation by November 2025 and on that basis, consider if additional measures are needed at EU level,” she confirmed.

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Categories: Articles, Business, Content, Piracy, Policy, Regulation, Rights

Tags: EUIPO, European Commission, Henna Virkkunen, piracy