Charting Europe's Creative Future

A consultation by the European Commission will seek public input on the Culture Compass for Europe, a strategic framework designed to enhance cultural policies across the European Union. The initiative will run from 15 April to 13 May 2025, inviting citizens and professionals to provide feedback on strengthening the EU’s cultural development approach. The rationale for the consultation is reflected in the Call for evidence document as folows:

"Rapid digital transformation and the urgent need to accelerate the green transition, achieve sustainable development goals, and shape forward-looking policies for future generations have become pressing priorities. Against this background, and as the EU prepares for enlargement, this is a pivotal moment to rethink the role of culture in EU policymaking, including in its external dimension, and to tackle some core issues. These include restrictions to artistic freedom; precarious social and working conditions of artists and cultural professionals; when it comes to AI, balancing innovation with human creativity, originality and ethical use, and without undermining artistic value; barriers to accessing culture, including in relation to disadvantaged groups, youth and rural or remote areas; the need to better understand and leverage the cultural and creative sectors and industries’ potential for EU competitiveness and for cross-sector innovation; challenges related to adopting environmentally and economically sustainable business models in these sectors."

The Culture Compass sets three primary objectives: increasing the visibility of EU cultural actions, improving working conditions for artists and cultural professionals and unlocking the competitive potential of creative sectors. By acknowledging their economic and social significance, the framework aims to transform cultural policy. Emerging from challenges like the pandemic and digital transformation, the framework is expected to improve policy consistency and coordination between funding mechanisms and cultural initiatives across the board. The European Commission is particularly interested in gathering diverse perspectives to fine-tune its framework and address the complex cultural landscape of contemporary Europe.

Designed as a non-binding tool, the initiative respects national cultural traditions while providing a unified perspective. It addresses critical issues such as artistic freedom, working conditions, and cultural access for marginalized communities, aiming to create a more supportive ecosystem for the creative sector.

To participate in the consultation, you must register using a social media account. All feedback will be published on the consultation website.

Teo Georgiev for Fine Acts, Creative Commons-Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International, • Twitter: @fine_acts, & @teowithdoodles

Charting Europe's Creative Future

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