The European Parliament is calling for a significant increase in the budget for the Creative Europe Programme so that it is able to meet the expectations of European citizens and the ambitions of each sub-programme. This is effectively the thrust of a non-legislative resolution adopted on Thursday 2 March during a plenary session in Brussels.
This initiative precedes the mid-term review the European Commission is expected to present to the European Parliament and Council of the EU by 31 December 2017 at the latest. It should be pointed out that the Creative Europe programme brings together previously separate programmes, such as “Media”, “Culture” and “Media Mundus”. It will have a €1.46 billion budget for 2014-20 and will focus on the cultural, creative and audiovisual sectors. MEPs believe that the Creative Europe programme “has been the victim of its own success: the number of candidacies submitted and supported is extremely low compared to the success rate of only 15.83% for ‘Culture’ and 32% for ‘media’”.
In this context, Parliament is calling for a budget increase and more integration with other programmes and countries, particularly those from the Mediterranean. The resolution indicates that they need to do more to enhance the synergies planned between the Creative Europe programme and a number of multiannual programmes and related funds, such as Erasmus+, 'Horizon 2020' and structural funds, which also support the setting up of a European culture and creativity observatory.
The resolution is based on report by Silvia Costa (S&D, Italy) and addresses a number of recommendations on the three parts of the programme: media, culture and transversal aspects. With regard to Media, it calls on the Commission to increase the maximum ceiling for financing to European video game projects and that the bonus system for simultaneous broadcasts in cinemas and subscription video is amended. With regard to Culture, it recommends that European cooperation projects take into account innovation, mobility and expanded co-productions.
MEPs also tackle the issue of the future of the programme. They recommend that the Creative Europe programme is maintained from 2021-2028 in the form of a programme that incorporates all culture and creative sectors. They also consider that the legal basis of the next programme should explicitly include the promotion of cultural and artistic quality, the intrinsic value of culture in the programme and sub-programme objectives, as well as in the assessment and selection criteria.
All the amendments (exclusively submitted by the ENF) were rejected. They mainly involved the protection of national cultural heritage and opposed collaborative ventures with third countries. They also regretted the fact that in 2015, €1.6 million had been spent on the social integration of refugees. Commissioner Carlos Moedas was quick to reply to the author of these amendments, Dominique Bilde (ENL, France) and explained that there was indeed a European culture “Characterised by diversity…and which one becomes conscious of when one is abroad”. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)