The European Commission has adopted “A Decade of Creative Europe”, a comprehensive evaluation report assessing both the final results of the Creative Europe 2014-2020 programme and the mid-term performance of the current 2021-2027 cycle. Published on 17 December, the report confirms Creative Europe’s role as the EU’s flagship funding instrument for culture, media and the audiovisual sector, while outlining the structural challenges that will shape its successor programme, AgoraEU.

Creative Europe operates across three strands – MEDIA, Culture and Cross-sectoral – and pursues a dual objective enshrined in EU treaties: safeguarding European cultural and linguistic diversity while strengthening the competitiveness and economic potential of the cultural and creative sectors (CCS), particularly audiovisual. Despite representing just 0.2% of the total EU budget, the programme targets areas where EU-level intervention can deliver added value beyond national funding, notably by addressing market fragmentation along national and linguistic lines.

For the 2021-2027 period, Creative Europe was allocated €2.44 billion, a 66% increase compared to the previous cycle. Budget distribution remained stable across both periods, with 56%-58% allocated to MEDIA, 31%-33% to Culture and 9%-13% to Cross-sectoral actions. Importantly, the full budget was executed across both programming periods, including during the COVID-19 crisis, when large parts of the sector were effectively shut down.

The study finds that the MEDIA strand has continued to deliver on its core mission: ie, bringing European films and series to audiences across borders. MEDIA-supported works demonstrated a significantly higher level of transnational circulation than non-supported titles, being available in 9.5 more EU countries on television, 6.6 more in cinemas, and 3.2 more on video-on-demand platforms on average. Under the 2014-2020 programme alone, MEDIA-backed films and series generated an estimated 241 million additional admissions outside their home country.

Support for exhibition through the Europa Cinemas network remains a cornerstone of MEDIA’s impact. Between 2014 and 2023, the network expanded its geographical coverage by 32%, reaching more than 750 municipalities. By 2023, Europa Cinemas accounted for almost 40% of all tickets sold for non-national European films in the EU, underlining its role in sustaining cross-border circulation.

At the production level, MEDIA funding proved particularly effective at the development stage. Around 29% of supported films and series were eventually released, a figure described as being above market averages. In the video-game sector, one-third of MEDIA-supported titles reached commercialisation, a notable result in a highly competitive market.

The evaluation also points to a sharp increase in cross-border co-productions, which rose from 36% under Creative Europe 2014-2020 to 84% under the current programme (2021-2023), compared to an estimated 13.7% market average for non-supported European works. These projects contributed to audience growth abroad, diversified financing sources and knowledge sharing.

MEDIA-supported works have also achieved strong international recognition, accumulating around 1,200 nominations and 500 awards between 2014 and 2023. These include 127 awards at Cannes, 86 at the Berlinale and 73 at the European Film Awards, reinforcing the cultural prestige of EU-backed content.

Moreover, efforts to strengthen diversity showed measurable progress: collaborations between low-capacity and high-capacity countries increased from less than 5% to around 30%, while the share of works in lesser-used languages rose from 25% to 32%. Nevertheless, support remains concentrated in a limited number of countries.

Beyond grants, MEDIA introduced blended finance instruments, notably MediaInvest, launched under InvestEU in 2021. The platform aims to leverage up to €400 million in equity investment between 2022 and 2027. With four investment deals already signed, MediaInvest is reported to be on track, complementing loan-based support.

The Culture strand has primarily functioned as a platform for transnational cooperation in sectors characterised by small organisations, limited mobility and linguistic fragmentation. Under Creative Europe 2014-2020, it supported over 1,200 projects, involving more than 22,000 professionals. Between 2021 and 2023, the strand channelled €294 million to 630 projects, reaching over 2,000 organisations in 39 countries.

Key outputs included the translation of more than 1,500 books, strengthening access to literature in lesser-used languages, and the Culture Moves Europe scheme, which supported over 3,800 emerging artists through mobility grants. Evidence suggests a long-term impact, with eight out of ten collaborations continuing beyond project completion.

The strand also demonstrated flexibility during crises, launching initiatives such as Culture Unite during the pandemic, and a €5 million call supporting Ukrainian cultural and creative organisations following Russia’s invasion of the country. However, some sectors, including fashion and design, remain underrepresented.

Oversubscription remains a structural issue. In the European Cooperation Projects action, applications increased from 463 in 2021 to 831 in 2023, while the success rate fell from 27% to 17% due to stable budgets.

Support for news media, introduced in 2021, remains modest at around €15 million per year, despite strong demand. Journalism Partnerships calls were oversubscribed by 700%, reflecting mounting pressures on media freedom, pluralism and sustainability across the EU.

The Creative Innovation Lab gradually began delivering value by supporting cross-sectoral projects addressing monetisation, audience reach and digital transformation, including applications of artificial intelligence and blockchain. However, the report notes that only 30% of EU CCS companies have adopted a digital transformation strategy, while AI investments account for less than 1% of total CCS investment.

Financial instruments emerged as one of Creative Europe’s most effective tools. The Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee Facility leveraged over €1.8 billion in loans, far exceeding its €600 million target, and helped reduce the annual debt-financing gap by 15%-30%. Audiovisual and multimedia companies accounted for 44% of supported loans.

The evaluation’s findings will now inform the design of AgoraEU. While the programme has demonstrated clear EU added value, the report stresses the need for stronger innovation, broader participation, improved data collection and closer coordination with member states to ensure that European culture and media remain competitive, diverse and visible in an increasingly globalised digital market.

The report can be accessed in full here.