Greek Hoteliers Slam Culture Ministry’s Music Quota Requirement

Greek hoteliers are up in arms over a Culture Ministry bill which opened for public debate this week that requires hotels, casinos, ports and airports across the country to play a minimum of 45 percent Greek songs and music in public areas.

Hotel associations claim the bill is “intrusive”, goes against the principles of the liberal market, and is “backward”.

Under the proposed legislation, hotels will be required to pay royalties to collection agencies for the reproduction of Greek music.

According to the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation (POX) and the Athens – Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association, the government has failed to clarify the framework of cooperation between hotels and collective rights organizations and to set affordable fees in this direction.

Hellenic Hoteliers Federation President Yiannis Hatzis.

Greek hoteliers go on to add that the music played should be a business choice and not imposed by the state and that the new law, if passed, will be at the expense of businesses, customers, and culture as business owners will simply chose not to play music in public spaces altogether.

They are calling on the culture ministry to re-examine the bill and rectify. Should the bill pass in parliament, Greek hoteliers warn that they will take the matter to Greek and European court.

Athens – Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association President Lambrini Karanasiou-Zoulovits. Photo source: Athens Municipality.

In an interview to SKAI earlier today, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni backed her decision, adding that it was very important that Greek music and song were protected and promoted.

Mendoni described the decision as a “reform” and added that incentives had been included for enterprises promoting music and songs written and composed by Greeks.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni.

“The Greek Constitution encourages us to support art. We must thus take positive measures to promote the free promotion of art. The bill does not necessarily intervene, it provides incentives to ultimately strengthen copyright through collective rights collection organizations,” she said.

National music quotas are not new. Portugal, Spain, Hungary and France already have music quotas in place, and Italy tabled a similar proposal in 2019.