Does Creative Europe have a future?

On 14 January, all 27 EU Ministers of Culture made a rare and urgent appeal to the European Commission: secure the continuation of Creative Europe, prioritise artistic freedom and safeguard European cultural cooperation. Their call comes at a pivotal moment, as the structure of the upcoming EU budget (2027–2036) which will be part of political deliberations in 2025, can be redrawn to reduce the number of programmes. As there is not clarity on how this will be done,  there are serious concerns about the future of Creative Europe.

Today, Europe’s cultural policy stands at a crossroads. Across the continent, culture is under threat - budget cuts at national and municipal levels are deepening the crisis, and attacks on artistic freedom endanger Europe’s rich cultural diversity and thriving arts scene. Despite being absent from high-level political agendas, the need for strong EU support for cross-border cultural cooperation has been recognised for decades and is never more critical today  - in times of dwindling trust at all levels - social, political, global. 

Culture is the soul of European identity, democracy, and resilient societies. As the EU embarks on a new chapter, we must ensure that culture remains at the core of its policies, with dedicated funding to sustain creativity and collaboration across borders. A Europe moving toward increased militarisation, should not lose the cultural engagement with its citizens, as no other sector can inspire support, solidarity, and conviction as effectively as culture. In the coming decade, culture will be essential in fostering the cohesion that Europe needs.

This is a call to action from IETM - to our peer networks, members, and the cultural sector at large: stay alert and push back against any setbacks in European support for cultural cooperation. One of the first actions you can undertake (but not the last one!) is responding to this consultation on the future of the EU budget. Let’s make our voices loud and numerous!

We also call on the European Commission, European Parliament, and Member States to reinforce Creative Europe. It is the most important tool Europe has to enhance cultural understanding between nations and that has reached the hearts and minds of hundreds of millions of citizens across the globe for decades. If the goal is to streamline and decrease the number of EU programmes, Creative Europe should be expanded, building on its legacy of innovation and its central support in fostering creativity across borders.