05/11/2013 - Voting is scheduled for November 19 in Strasbourg

The parliamentary Culture committee gave its approval to Creative Europe, the new framework programme 2014-2020 for the cultural and audiovisual sector. The last step will be taken on November 19 with the Parliament's final vote during its plenary session in Strasbourg.

The final budget – almost 1.5 billion euros resulting from a long struggle against the cuts imposed by the Council in February - is higher than the current one.

The budget breakdown has not changed, with 56% for the MEDIA programme, 31% for Culture and 13% for the cross-sectoral strand, which – with its new financial guarantee facility - is the main innovation brought by Creative Europe.  This new tool, functioning as a guarantee on bank loan, will target micro and SMEs.

Creative Europe is perceived as a good answer to the main problems that the sector is facing: globalisation, digitalisation, difficult access to finance and market fragmentation.

“There are many innovations for the audiovisual sector”, explains Silvia Costa, the Italian MEP responsible for the programme. The international circulation of works is an essential point. Transnational cooperation is fostered. The circulation of European films in third countries, covered by MEDIA Mundus up to now, is ensured thanks to cooperation projects.

Cinemas with substantial quotas of European films will be supported, as well as any initiative promoting the circulation of non-national films – distribution on online platforms, film subtitling and dubbing.

Media literacy has also a leading role, being a way of building new audiences. Likewise, training possibilities are given to young professionals in order to maximise the possibilities given by digital technologies and to encourage the development of new business models.

Costa is particularly pleased with the inclusion of culture as a priority in Horizon2020 (framework programme for research) and in the key actions of the Structural Funds. Thus, the cross-cutting and encompassing nature of culture, which was the key rationale of Creative Europe, is highlighted.