Creative Europe 2021-2027

General objectives

Here are the specific objectives of the programme:

• Enhancing artistic and cultural cooperation between EU Member states in order to support the creation of European works and strengthen the economic, social and external dimensions of the EU cultural and creative sectors, as well as innovation and mobility;
• Promoting competitiveness, scalability,  innovation and sustainability; including through mobility, in the European audiovisual sector;
• Promoting programmatic cooperation and innovative actions in support of all sections of the program and promoting a diverse, independent and pluralistic media environment and media literacy, thereby fostering freedom of artistic expression, intercultural dialogue and social inclusion. 

The program is divided into three stands, each with its own specific priorities.

Culture

The Culture strand shall have the following priorities:

• Strengthening transnational cooperation and the cross-border dimension of the creation, circulation and visibility of European works and the mobility of operators in the cultural and creative sectors;
• Increasing access to and participation in culture, audience engagement and improve audience development;
• Promoting societal resilience and enhancing social inclusion and intercultural dialogue through culture and cultural heritage;
• enhancing the capacity of the European cultural and creative sectors, including the capacity of individuals working in those sectors;
• strengthening European identity and values through cultural awareness, arts education and culture-based creativity in education;
• promoting capacity-building within the European cultural and creative sectors, including grassroots organisations and micro-organisations;
• contributing to the Union’s global strategy for international relations through culture.

Media

The Media strand shall have the following priorities:

• Nurturing talents, competence and skills and to stimulate cross-border cooperation, mobility, and innovation in the creation and production of European audiovisual works, thereby encouraging collaboration across Member States with different audiovisual capacities;
• Enhancing the circulation, promotion, online distribution and theatrical distribution of European audiovisual works within the Union and internationally in the new digital environment, including through innovative business models;
• Promoting European audiovisual works, including heritage works, and supporting the engagement and development of audiences of all ages (with a focus on Youth).

Cross-sectoral 

The Cross-sectoral strand shall have the following priorities:

• Supporting cross-sectoral transnational policy cooperation, including cooperation on the promotion of the role of culture in social inclusion and collaboration on artistic freedom, to promote the visibility of the Programme and to support the transferability of the results of the Programme;
• Encouraging innovative approaches to the creation, distribution and promotion of, and access to, content across cultural and creative sectors and other sectors, including by taking into account the digital shift, covering both market and non-market dimensions;
• Promoting cross-sectoral activities that aim at adjusting to the structural and technological changes faced by the media, including enhancing a free, diverse, and pluralistic media environment, quality journalism and media literacy, including in the digital environment;
• Supporting the establishment of Programme desks in participating countries and the activities of Programme desks and stimulating cross-border cooperation and the exchange of best practices within the cultural and creative sectors.

Beneficiaries

The following entities are eligible to participate in the programme:

• Legal entities established: in a EU Member State or in an overseas country or territory associated with that Member State;
• in a third country associated to the Programme;
• or in a third country listed in the work programme;
• Legal entities established under Union law;
• International organisations.

Exceptionally, legal entities active in the cultural and creative sectors and established in a third country not associated with the Programme shall be eligible to participate in the Programme where participation is necessary to achieve the objectives. They have also to bear the costs of participation. If it is in the interest of the Union, additional contributions from external funding instruments may cover the costs of participation.

Forms of funding

Creative Europe can provide funding in form of grants, prizes and contracts. The programme may also provide funding in the form of financial instruments under mixed funding operations.

An action having received a contribution under Creative Europe may also be funded by another Union programme, including funds under the Common Provisions Regulation for the period 2021-2027, provided that the contributions do not cover the same costs. 

Moreover, projects may be awarded a label of excellence under Creative Europe if it fulfils the following cumulative conditions:

• It has been evaluated in the framework of a call for proposals under the programme;
• it complies with the minimum quality requirements set out in the call for proposalscannot be funded under the call for proposals due to budgetary constraints.

Budget

The budget for the implementation of the programme in the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2027 is of 1 842 000 000 euros.

Links

Regulation (EU) 2021/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing the Creative Europe Programme (2021 to 2027)