EU officials said it aimed to strike a balance between consumers and the entertainment industry.

Monday's approval capped months of lobbying by interested parties.

Irish pop band The Corrs were among those campaigning for tougher copyright laws.

Speaking during a visit to the EU Parliament last year, the group's Sharon Corr said:

"It's very important for the livelihood of artists who come after us and definitely for music culture in Europe."

Encryption

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which looks after recording artists, estimates there are more than 25 million illegal music files available on the internet.

The new legislation gives copyright protection for books, music and films on the internet.

It gives copyright owners the right to use encryption to block duplication and to limit the illegal downloading of audio and video files.

Free swapping of copyrighted music files, such as those provided by file-sharing firm Napster, until it was ordered to stop, will not be allowed.

But consumers will be able to download copies of music and film for private use, and it will be up to each EU country to decide whether they should have to pay for those services.

Member states have 18 months to ratify and implement the laws.

Artists have argued that if there is no curb on copyright infringement and piracy, creativity will be stifled.

But some consumer groups say such fears are exaggerated as only a small minority makes excessive use of copyrighted material on the internet.