In July, the European Commission will present its formal proposals for the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034. This development has triggered mobility and discussions among all stakeholders. Not only the overall spending on the cultural and creative sector, but also the future of programmes such as Creative Europe, Horizon and Erasmus will depend on the next long-term EU budget. The Ecosystem is closely following the developments and seeks to be part of the institutional dialogue that has already started and to articulate a framework of demands.
Since 12 February, when the Commission launched the public consultation on the new MFF, a steady stream of cultural and creative organisations have been inviting citizens and stakeholders to take part in the process and have been running special surveys on funding for the cultural and creative sectors, education, youth, media, values and civil society. The public consultation will run for twelve weeks and cultural organisations are now rushing to submit their responses with the necessary documentation.
Last week, the Cultural Deal for Europe initiative, supported by Culture Action Europe, Europa Nostra and the European Cultural Foundation, organised a dialogue at the Bozar arts centre in Brussels with the participation of Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Equality, Youth, Culture and Sport. The event focused on the call to raise the target for funding for the cultural and creative sectors in the future EU budget to 2%.
But the dialogue has also extended to other areas beyond the well-known cultural programmes, which directly or indirectly affect the functioning and sustainability of the ecosystem.
Pearle*-Live Performance Europe, welcomed the initiative and the Commission's commitment to reducing regulatory and administrative burdens in the framework of the Competitivness Compass. According to Pearle* this is a measure that could significantly benefit the live performance sector.
Last year, Pearle* carried out an inventory of EU legislation impacting on the live performance sector and found that more than 400 regulations currently affect its members. This is 2.5 times more than when the organisation carried out a similar review ten years ago. This exponential growth in regulatory complexity appears to be affecting small and medium-sized enterprises and cultural operators, who face significant administrative challenges in their day-to-day activities.
The "Competitiveness Compass" simplification target, aims to reduce administrative burdens by at least 25% overall and 35% for SMEs. According to the organisations' announcement, Pearle* looks forward to following the implementation of the new Single Market Strategy, which will modernise regulatory governance and remove barriers to the work of live performance organisations.
From a different perspective, Culture Action Europe welcomed the inclusion of a new strategic framework for culture in the European Commission's 2025 Work Programme. The 2025 Work Programme sets out the key strategies, action plans and legislative initiatives that will form the building blocks for further work during this term. On the cultural and creative sectors the Work Programme states: “To make the most of Europe’s cultural and creative industries – which are among the most dynamic and competitive sectors in our economy- we will develop a framework to harness the multiple dimensions of our culture and cultural heritage”.
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Photo credit: Lantus,
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