It’s time to take action: next steps with the MFF

Culture Action Europe hosted a campaign meeting last week open to the public providing updates on developments with the next EU long-term budget (MFF), to discuss the next steps of our Ask, Pay, Trust campaign, and to identify different forms of action that can be taken over the next months. 

The session began with Culture Action Europe’s Head of Policy, Luiza Moroz, presenting how cultural funding opportunities look in the next MFF, as well as introducing the proposals for how culture can be strengthened across the European Commission’s proposal. This includes proposals for a strong and autonomous Creative Europe – Culture strand under AgoraEU, the successor to the current Creative Europe programme. Among other proposals, Luiza highlighted the importance of: 

• ensuring a dedicated funding strand for Creative Europe – Culture; 

• calling for an Annex with eligible actions for greater certainty and clarity; 

• guaranteeing revenues from EU digital fines for the programme; 

• safeguarding social conditionality and fair pay under the new simplified funding; 

• maintaining distinct, funded Creative Europe – Culture desks.  

Proposals to support cultural funding and opportunities across other MFF programmes were also identified, including: 

• ensuring a dedicated structural component and funding for culture and creativity in the new Horizon Europe programme; 

• establishing a dedicated structural component for the cultural and creative industries in the new European Competitiveness Fund; and 

• guaranteeing at least 2% of funding in National and Regional Partnership Plans, or any relevant cohesion and structural funding instrument, for culture. 

Next, Culture Action Europe’s Advocacy Officer, Rhys Nugent, presented a campaign roadmap to increase EU cultural funding in the 2028–2034 budget. With the European Parliament and the Council beginning negotiations on the MFF very soon, and the Danish Presidency of the Council expected to present their ‘negotiating toolbox’ in mid-November to support negotiations, early action is vital so that the voices and needs of the cultural sectors are put into action. Four main action points were stressed: 

1. Contacting national ministers by the end of October to call for dedicated funding for culture in the MFF, with letter templates available as a source of inspiration;
2. Reaching out to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) by mid-November to share our recommendations for culture in the MFF; 
3. Carrying out surveys from the European Commission for citizens to provide feedback on the MFF as a whole, as well as targeted surveys on culture, competitiveness, external action, and regions in its initial proposal; 
4. Continuing to raise awareness of the Ask, Pay, Trust campaign and collect further endorsements for our 9 action points; 

Let’s take action! Need tools for your advocacy work? To rewatch the session, download letter templates and find useful information and tools available on our website, visit our campaign headquarters.