As culture suffers from rising energy prices, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU started to reflect on measures to support the sector in early 2023. This reflection is provided for in the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026 and should feed into a new action aimed at better preparing the sector for the green transition from 2024.
In a document obtained by EUROPE, Stockholm has summarised the suggestions of the EU27. As detailed in these columns (see EUROPE 13103/14), so far, Member States have provided three types of support to the sector: direct support, revised energy efficiency targets and action plans to achieve energy savings in cultural institutions.
The national delegations invited to express their views on the future stressed the importance of soliciting diverse expertise to provide answers to the challenges of the cultural sector. They also suggested linking the receipt of national funding to energy reduction targets. In the same vein, the use of innovative technologies in cultural institutions could be encouraged through certifications or support for consulting entities, they imagined.
At EU level, they considered the possibility of “aggregating” existing national initiatives: for example by developing a CO2 standard or by sharing more information on their respective legal obligations.
In parallel, they welcomed the greening of the Creative Europeprogramme. Indeed, in the period 2021-2027, there is an explicit request to integrate a climate action dimension into the programme, so that it contributes to the target of 30% of the EU budget being spent on its climate objectives.
Finally, while looking for ways to combine green transition and support for the sector, the Presidency made an appeal “to keep exceptions for buildings with heritage value including those owned by public authorities” within the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (see EUROPE 13141/10).
See the document: https://aeur.eu/f/66f (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)