The European Commission has formally issued a call to Slovenia to fully transpose the European Union’s updated copyright rules into national law, highlighting ongoing concerns about delays in the country’s compliance with key digital legislation. The warning, detailed in the article “Commission calls on Slovenia to comply with EU copyright rules,” published on the Digital Strategy website of the European Commission, notes that Ljubljana has yet to complete the legal adoption of the 2019 Copyright Directive and the companion Directive on online television and radio programmes.
These directives were adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in 2019 with the aim of modernizing the EU’s copyright frameworks to better reflect rapid developments in digital and cross-border content consumption. Member States were given a deadline of 7 June 2021 to implement the directives into national law. The Commission’s announcement signals that Slovenia’s failure to meet this requirement leaves key elements of the EU’s Digital Single Market strategy unfulfilled.
The 2019 Copyright Directive, in particular, represents a landmark legal overhaul, introducing new rules to reinforce the rights of creators and ensure fairer revenue sharing among authors, performers, and major online platforms. Central to the directive is Article 17, which establishes responsibility for online content-sharing services to obtain appropriate licenses or take effective actions to prevent unauthorized content uploads by users. Meanwhile, the Directive on online TV and radio programmes is designed to simplify cross-border distribution of public broadcasting services by extending the country-of-origin principle.
Slovenia remains among a shrinking group of EU Member States that have yet to complete the legislative steps necessary to implement these rules. The European Commission’s call follows earlier proceedings—namely letters of formal notice and reasoned opinions—issued to various countries that had either delayed or failed to properly transpose the directives.
By advancing to the third step of the infringement process and issuing what is in effect a final warning, the Commission is underscoring its commitment to the enforceability of EU law in the digital domain. Should Slovenia continue to fall short of its obligations, the Commission may bring the matter before the Court of Justice of the European Union, potentially resulting in financial sanctions.
The wider implications of delayed transposition are significant. Without full harmonization, content creators and rightsholders across Europe face fragmented legal protections, complicating enforcement and fair remuneration efforts. For consumers, particularly those seeking to access content across borders, inconsistent legal implementation risks undermining the EU’s cohesion on digital rights and access.
The Commission’s Digital Strategy platform emphasizes the need for all Member States to align swiftly with EU copyright legislation to foster a coherent and competitive digital environment. With the digital economy increasingly pivotal to the bloc’s future growth, uniform enforcement of copyright standards remains a critical pillar of the EU’s broader policy objectives.
