Withdrawal of the Late Payment Regulation proposal

The Federation of European Publishers welcomes the announcement by the European Commission of the withdrawal of the Late Payment Regulation proposal in the Work Programme for 2027. While late payments are a problem for many SMEs across Europe, the proposed legislation’s lack of consideration for the specificities of the book sector – where books, among the slowest-moving goods, justify long (not late) payment terms between booksellers and publishers – would have represented an existential threat for our well-established business model, and therefore for cultural diversity in Europe. The European Parliament had already acknowledged this in its position on the file, and we wish to express our gratitude once again to all Members of the European Parliament who supported us.