Europe wants to create Google Books rival

EU ministers agreed in Brussels on Friday to create a committee of "wise men" to carve out a plan, Mitterrand said in an interview with French newspaper Journal du Dimanche due to be published on Saturday.

He also said the digitization of books should not be left to private companies, and governments had to come up with appropriate policies.

"The committee will be asked to bring together national views and draw up a joint position," he told the newspaper.