By Emmanuel Legrand
European leaders have rallied to support the creative sector in 2021 and beyond through pan-European and national measures to prevent the cultural and creative infrastructures in Europe to "collapse," according to German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Monika Grütters (pictured, below) who was chairing on December 1 a virtual meeting of EU's ministers of Culture, in the presence of European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel.
Ministers welcomed the fact that the budget of the Creative Europe programme will be substantially increased for the period 2021-2027. Grütters said the increase by €800 million of the Creative Europe programme to €2.24 billion was "a clear sign of recognition and solidarity" for the creative sector. She added: "We are very proud that this programme has been beefed up."
Increase funding
"The cultural and media sectors have been hit extremely hard by the Covid-19 crisis. Our discussion today confirmed member states' determination to continue supporting them at national and EU level — better targeting of recovery aid, adequate information on funding and flexible approach towards travel restrictions. Further to that, European Capitals of Culture initiative was adapted to help the cities affected by the pandemic and we expect that the funding through the Creative Europe programme will increase as of 2021," said Grütters.
Ministers also welcomed the prospect for an increased budget of the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europeprogrammes for the next 7-year period. These instruments will provide additional opportunities to support the cultural and creative industries. "We have to provide a safety net for our creative and cultural infrastructure, and simply to the people who work in it, otherwise the sector could collapse and not survive through the crisis," said Grütters.
The meeting took place as the Next Generation EU €750 billion rescue package was still on hold at the European Parliament, following objections from Hungary and Poland. The Ministers said the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), part of the package, was crucial for the future of the creative sector, and expressed hope that an agreement on the next multi-annual financial framework (MFF) and the RFF will soon be reached as this will allow for an additional funding for the cultural and audiovisual sectors.Gabriel said the RRF will play "a fundamental role" in the rebuilding of European economy.
"I conveyed the message to ministers to use this unique instrument and incorporate culture, a message which has also been conveyed by the European Parliament," said Gabriel. She added that from 2021 there will be a new pluri-annual framework that will provide "new budgetary facilities and also new instrument," and invited EU member states to use these instruments as well create their own programmes to benefit "the resilience of the sector."
"The cultural and media sectors have been hit extremely hard by the Covid-19 crisis. Our discussion today confirmed member states' determination to continue supporting them at national and EU level — better targeting of recovery aid, adequate information on funding and flexible approach towards travel restrictions. Further to that, European Capitals of Culture initiative was adapted to help the cities affected by the pandemic and we expect that the funding through the Creative Europe programme will increase as of 2021," said Grütters.
Ministers also welcomed the prospect for an increased budget of the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europeprogrammes for the next 7-year period. These instruments will provide additional opportunities to support the cultural and creative industries. "We have to provide a safety net for our creative and cultural infrastructure, and simply to the people who work in it, otherwise the sector could collapse and not survive through the crisis," said Grütters.
Rebuilding European economy
The meeting took place as the Next Generation EU €750 billion rescue package was still on hold at the European Parliament, following objections from Hungary and Poland. The Ministers said the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), part of the package, was crucial for the future of the creative sector, and expressed hope that an agreement on the next multi-annual financial framework (MFF) and the RFF will soon be reached as this will allow for an additional funding for the cultural and audiovisual sectors.Gabriel said the RRF will play "a fundamental role" in the rebuilding of European economy.
"I conveyed the message to ministers to use this unique instrument and incorporate culture, a message which has also been conveyed by the European Parliament," said Gabriel. She added that from 2021 there will be a new pluri-annual framework that will provide "new budgetary facilities and also new instrument," and invited EU member states to use these instruments as well create their own programmes to benefit "the resilience of the sector."
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