U.K. musicians no longer need visas or work permits for short-term tours in 19 EU countries — news from the U.K. Government that has been met with a muted response from the #LetTheMusicMove campaign.

Today, the Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport said that 19 EU Member States, including Germany, France and Ireland, have agreed to let U.K. musicians tour within the countries without the requirement for added bureaucracy. This is a result of discussions that DCMS says it has had with “every EU Member State about the issues facing our creative and cultural industries when looking to tour in Europe."

However, #LetTheMusicMoveCampaign says the announcement is “nothing more than we already knew.” A statement continues: “It remains that the U.K.’s music industry is in a far less advantageous position now than it was pre-January. Despite the spin, this statement represents an admission of failure. Failure to fulfil the promises made by Government about securing our industry's future during negotiations, failure to ‘fix’ the issue, as per the PM's statement of March this year, and failure to provide certainty around touring in almost a third of EU countries, eight months after the music industry was dealt a no-deal scenario.”

The campaign is calling for the Government to publish full details on a country-by-country basis, outlining the exact requirements for touring performers and crew across all 27 member states. DCMS says that it is “actively engaging” with the remaining countries and asking them to align their arrangements with the U.K.’s rules, which allow touring performers and support staff to come to the U.K. for up to three months without a visa.