Reimagining EU Priorities
In the current European policy landscape, three main areas dominate discussions and decision-making: Competitiveness, Democracy, and Security. Culture plays a crucial role in each of these domains, offering a unique and transformative power that can shape Europe’s future. In alignment with Culture Action Europe’s mission to put culture at the heart of policy making in Europe, it is essential to ensure that culture remains central in these three critical areas and defined on our terms. To achieve this, Culture Compass must position culture as a key driver of policy decisions. The cultural sector can be very specific in how we can be instrumental to these policy areas, – without being instrumentalised.
Culture and Competitiveness: A Value-Based Approach
Contribution of the Cultural Sectors in Europe to the EU´s Competitiveness is rooted in a value-based approach. It is through culture that each generation gives new and relevant meaning to our values. It is culture that fuels innovation in a very specific way, towards social innovation and sustainability. Culture offers a transformative power that makes us competitive, be it through arts-based research or participation in arts and culture.
Cultural Democracy
Cultural participation directly enhances democracy and social cohesion. For Democracy to thrive we need the future-making power of the arts and a clear vision on what a cultural democracy has to offer. At the moment we handle a spreadsheet rather than a visionary story to argue for political steps to be taken. But as citizens we need images of a better future – and a need to be involved in creating these images through arts and culture – in order to gain full democratic agency.
Security: Culture as a Strategic Defence Mechanism
The promotion of European cultural content is a strategic defence against disinformation, hybrid threats, and psychological warfare from authoritarian regimes. Culture significantly contributes to emergency preparedness. It strengthens Europe’s ability to respond to crises by encouraging cross-sector collaboration, mobilising communities, and providing essential infrastructure for social cohesion.
For all three areas we also need to define transversal principles of what we call Ask, Pay, Trust the artist; ´Ask the artist´ to be at the table, from research to health and well-being, to sustainability measures. ´Pay´ as in fair working conditions including freedom of artistic expression, institutional autonomy and protective AI frameworks; and finally Trust in artists must be reflected in the conditions of funding frameworks.
The European cultural sector proposes strengthening culture’s contribution to the European Union’s priorities through the following action points:
Competitiveness
- Establish a common EU definition for cultural and creative sector professionals and set minimum standards to ensure fair working conditions.
- Acknowledge culture’s role in driving innovation and strengthening competitiveness through the systemic recognition of artistic research as a valid method of knowledge production within EU research funding and the Competitiveness Fund.
- Ensure that the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act and subsequent AI policies safeguard creators from unauthorised use of their work and guarantee fair remuneration.
Democracy
- Leverage the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 to allocate at least 2% toward European cultural content creation and the reinforcement of Europe’s democratic cultural ecosystem—across all pillars of the MFF, including a strengthened standalone Creative Europe programme.
- Integrate artistic freedom into the Rule of Law Report to monitor freedom of artistic expression and the autonomy of cultural organisations across the EU.
- Recognise cultural democracy and socially engaged arts as a strategic priority in the Culture Compass and the next EU Work Plan for Culture to strengthen social cohesion and build trust in the role of the arts in society.
Security
- Include culture within the European Democracy Shield, the EU Internal Security Strategy, and the ReArm Europe plan as a strategic defence against disinformation, hybrid threats, and psychological warfare from authoritarian regimes.
- Embed culture into the EU Preparedness Union Strategy and the EU mental health policy to mobilise communities and enhance resilience.
- Support Ukraine’s cultural recovery by allocating 2% (~€4 billion) of Russia’s frozen assets for this purpose.
If the compass takes these areas and principles into account, Culture Action Europe believes we can secure a place for culture at the heart of policy making in Europe. Endorse the campaign today!