The European Commission initiated infringement proceedings against Slovenia over its copyright laws. On January 29, 2026, the Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Slovenia for failing to properly align its rules with EU copyright directives.
Slovenian law mandates that authors entrust management of their public communication rights exclusively to collective management organizations, stripping them of the choice to manage rights individually or withdraw them. This violates EU law, which guarantees rightsholders freedom to exercise rights personally or via chosen entities, as outlined in Directive 2001/29/EC and Directive 2014/26/EU.
Slovenia has two months from the notice to respond satisfactorily. Without a resolution, the Commission may issue a reasoned opinion, potentially escalating to the Court of Justice of the EU.
Slovenia violated two key EU copyright directives through its mandatory collective management scheme for authors' public communication rights. The European Commission cited failures in transposing these rules correctly in its January 29, 2026, infringement notice.
Directive 2001/29/EC
This InfoSoc Directive harmonizes aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society. It grants authors exclusive rights to authorize or prohibit public communication of their works, including the freedom to manage these rights individually rather than mandatorily via collectives.
Directive 2014/26/EU
Known as the CRM Directive, it regulates collective management of copyright and multi-territorial licensing for online music use. Slovenia's law conflicts by depriving authors of the choice to withdraw rights from collective organizations, limiting their exclusive rights.
