Brussels, 03/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) is safe!… until the end of 2016, at least. This was confirmed by the European Commission on Wednesday 1 June, when it announced it had found a solution to secure subsidies for the project.
The EUYO is one is one of the large symphony orchestras. Founded in 1976, it allows around 50 young Europeans recruited from across the member states to play together in concerts around the world. It has been subsidised since its creation but needed to lodge an application for subsidies as part of the Multiannual Financial Framework under the Creative Europe programme. This financing that was granted for 2014-2015, but was due to end on 1 September 2016.
“Today, I am happy to announce that we have found a solution, which will allow the European Union Youth Orchestra to continue in 2016 and 2017 and even beyond (…) Together we have shown that we can find creative solutions by overcoming bureaucratic procedures when something is in the interest of our citizens,' said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
Creative solution or cobbled together solution? For 2016, the Commission is planning to make an amendment to Creative Europe's current work programme, through implementation of a subsidy for €600,000. For 2017, the European Parliament is proposing a pilot project to ensure that the EUYO has operational funding by amending the Commission's general budget proposal. The Commission will support this amendment. There is no certainty, however, at member states' level, as only a handful of ministers spoke about this issue at the EU Education and Youth Council on 26 May.
For the post-2017 period, the Commission says it will propose to the European Parliament and Council “sustainable solutions as part of the Creative Europe programme, which will provide more certainty for the EUYO to continue its activities. In parallel, the orchestra is invited to seek additional, complementary sources of financing to expand its activities.” (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)