Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have issued a letter addressed to the European Commission and a letter to the Heads of Government and State, Ministers for Finance and Ministers for Culture of the EU Member States calling on them to support within the national recovery and resilience plans measures that in total dedicate at least 2% to the Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCS). 87 MEPs from six different political groups of the European Parliament have signed the letters.
The signees argues that the CCS needs support given that the pandemic has disproportionally and heavily impacted the Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCS) with up to 98% decrease of the turnover for the performing arts and 95% for the book-sales; whereas less than 2% of the European cinemas remained open in between the lockdowns, most European museums remained closed and there was a 76% decline in music audiences.
The letters are a continuation to a previous letter sent in the end of December 2020 regarding the Cultural Recovery of Europe, which asks for, amongst others:
- Dedicate at least 2% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) to the Cultural and Creative Sectors and industries.
- Reduce VAT rates for all cultural goods and services.
- Improve valuation of intangible assets.
- Introduce tax credits and tax motivation tools for cultural production.
- Improve the social protection systems and the working conditions for the workers in the CCS.
- Secure equal accessibility and inclusiveness for the distribution of cultural funding.
- Protect the future of the cultural ecosystem under the pressures brought by the green and the digital transition.
- Include the CCS in all financial supporting tools, such as the InvestEU and the NextGenerationEU.
The governments of the EU Member States are urged to:
- Dedicate at least 2% to the CCS which account for 3,7% of the EU employment and 4% of the GDP and therefore, should be proportionally funded through the RRF,
- Provide the MEPs with information about the specific percentage dedicated to the CCS in the national recovery and resilience plans. There’s a need to have accurate information on the percentage that the Member States dedicate to the CCS, especially during the current situation, which is especially challenging to our culture, our identity of today and the heritage of tomorrow.
The European Commission is urged to:
- During its evaluation process support within the national recovery and resilience plans measures that in total dedicate at least 2% to the CCS. CCS that account for 3,7% of European employment and 4% of the European GDP, and therefore should be proportionally funded through the RRF, and
- Provide the MEPs with information regarding a concrete percentage that the Commission would support for the demands of Culture in the process of the evaluation of the national recovery and resilience plans. Given that in the RRF there are concrete percentages for other sectors, such as the 20% for the digital transition and the 37% for the green transition, the signees believe there should as well be a specific percentage for the CCS, especially under the current threats crucially challenging our culture, our identity of today and heritage of tomorrow.
