The signatories of the statement urge the EU to give a significant boost to the EU budget dedicated to culture. Considering that the culture and creative sectors provide more than 12 million full-time jobs and creates approximately €509bn in value added to GDP (5.3 % of the EU’s total GVA), it is surprising that only €1,4bn was allocated to the EU’s support programme for culture, Creative Europe, in the previous EU budget. €1,4bn over 7 years represents 0,15 % of the EU’s overall budget.
The statement calls on the EU to double the budget allocated to the successor of Creative Europe and to offer easier access to other sources of EU funding. Further the statement reads that “[g]iven their strategic role in the EU’s economy and their crucial impact in European society, cultural and creative sectors should also be able to benefit from sources of EU funding outside Creative Europe, such as the EU’s structural and investment fund, COSME and Horizon 2020 programmes, education and enlargement/neighbourhood policy and programmes.”
<link file:3337 download file>Download the full statement here.