We stand with Culture Action Europe in their call for EU leaders to place culture at the heart of public policy. Culture contributes to the EU’s three main priorities: democracy, competitiveness, and security. However, to help culture help Europe, we need to Ask, Pay, and Trust the Artist.
● Ask for our expertise: Artists and cultural professionals should be part of every policy discussion bringing their creativity and innovative approaches to the table.
● Pay for our labour: Ensure decent working conditions and fair remuneration for the use of our intellectual property. Invest in culture to help build a more resilient Europe.
● Trust our process: Embrace the unpredictability of the arts—we deliver results, even if we don’t always tick every box. The European cultural sector proposes strengthening culture’s contribution to the European Union’s priorities through the following action points: Competitiveness
● Establish a common EU definition for cultural and creative sector professionals and set minimum standards to ensure fair working conditions.
● Acknowledge culture’s role in driving innovation and strengthening competitiveness through the systemic recognition of artistic research as a valid method of knowledge production within EU research funding and the Competitiveness Fund.
● Ensure that the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act
The European cultural sector proposes strengthening culture’s contribution to the European Union’s priorities through the following action points:
Competitiveness
● Establish a common EU definition for cultural and creative sector professionals and set minimum standards to ensure fair working conditions.
● Acknowledge culture’s role in driving innovation and strengthening competitiveness through the systemic recognition of artistic research as a valid method of knowledge production within EU research funding and the Competitiveness Fund.
● Ensure that the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act and subsequent AI policies safeguard creators from unauthorised
use of their work and guarantee fair remuneration.
Democracy
● Leverage the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 to allocate at least 2% toward European cultural content creation and the reinforcement of Europe’s democratic cultural ecosystem—across all pillars of the MFF, including a strengthened standalone Creative Europe programme.
● Integrate artistic freedom into the Rule of Law Report to monitor freedom of artistic expression and the autonomy of cultural organisations across the EU.
● Recognise cultural democracy and socially engaged arts as a strategic priority in the Culture Compass and the next EU Work Plan for Culture to strengthen social cohesion and build trust in the role of the arts in society.
Security
● Include culture within the European Democracy Shield, the EU Internal Security Strategy, and the ReArm Europe plan as a strategic defence against disinformation, hybrid threats, and psychological warfare from authoritarian regimes.
● Embed culture into the EU Preparedness Union Strategy and the EU mental health policy to mobilise communities and enhance resilience.
● Support Ukraine’s cultural recovery by allocating 2% (~€4 billion) of Russia’s frozen assets for this purpose. If the EU takes these areas and principles into account, Culture Action Europe believes we can secure a place for culture at the heart of policy making in Europe.