Creative Europe builds on the experience of the Culture and MEDIA programmes, which have supported the European cultural and audiovisual sectors for more than 20 years. The new programme includes a Culture sub-programme, supporting performing and visual arts, heritage and other areas, and a MEDIA sub-programme, which will provide funding for the cinema and audiovisual sector.
As expressed earlier here at edn.dk, EDN has voiced a concern about the rules for applying to MEDIA, as specific new regulations seemed problematic for documentaries professionals. In relation to EDN’s concern Director Paul Pauwels states:
'Though the final legal text for Creative Europe is still to be published, I am certain that the influence by our organisation has lead to an improved version of Creative Europe for documentary professionals. EDN’s voice have been heard, and made the rules and regulations more in line with the documentary production world we function in.'
With a budget of €1.46 billion over the next seven years the budget is 9% more than current level of the EU programmes now being united in Creative Europe. A new initiative is a cross-sectoral strand, which will support policy cooperation, transversal measures and the new financial guarantee facility, which will be operational from 2016.
The programme will allocate at least 56% of its budget for the MEDIA sub-programme and at least 31% for the Culture sub-programme. This broadly reflects the share of funding that the two areas currently receive. A maximum of 13% of the budget will be allocated to the cross-sectoral strand, which includes support for 'Creative Europe Desks' in each participating country, providing advice to potential beneficiaries.
Around €60 million is earmarked for policy cooperation and for fostering innovative approaches to audience building and new business models.
The Creative Europe programme will be definitively adopted by the European Council in the weeks to come and will enter into force in January 2014. In order to speed up the application process, the Commission will publish the first calls for proposals in December 2013.
Related links at edn.dk
See our documentary calendar in Resources
