The proposed cuts to the 2024 Creative Europe budget would significantly weaken the Creative Europe programme, but barely have any impact on the EU’s budget savings. Creative Europe is the EU’s only funding envelope dedicated to European cultural cooperation and a cut would cause palpable damage to the Culture and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSIs). The CCSIs were hit hard by the pandemic and are in need of continuous and reliable support to overcome the aftermath of Covid-19.
The letter does not only state that the CCSIs are important drivers of the European economy, but also points out the CCSIs’ vital role for people’s well-being and contribution to democratic development, togetherness and social cohesion.
NEMO and the other 70 signatories hope that the Council will reconsider the proposed budget cuts and rather opt for contributing to further strengthen the Creative Europe programme, in line with the position expressed by the CULT Committee of the European Parliament, which requested an increase by €43 million for next year.
- Read and share the letter of concern
After the letter was sent by Culture Action Europe (CAE) on 1 September, the CAE can already report of hopeful news on 5 September when Commissioner-designate Iliana Ivanova before her hearing at the CULT/ITRE Committee of the European Parliament made it clear that she does not see any cuts to Creative Europe as justified.
CAE will monitor the next steps at the Council level and plan to use the letter as a basis to encourage the European Parliament to take action, following up on the position already expressed by the CULT Committee.
After being published, the letter of concern was picked up by the Heritage Tribune in an article and feature in their bi-weekly newsletter, which was sent on 13 September 2023.
