Art and culture should be considered as a 'basic
commodity' and not be penalised by lockdowns
Regions and cities are calling for coordinated
support from the EU and Member States to relaunch
the cultural and creative sectors that are among
the most affected by the COVID-19 crisis and
national lockdowns. In a debate with Mariya
Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation,
Research, Culture, Education and Youth, members of
the European Committee of the Regions underlined
the strong contribution of culture and cultural
heritage to local and regional development and to
European values, identities and citizenship. They
argued that art and culture should have a more
prominent role in the debate on the future of the
EU.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas
, President of the European Committee of the Regions
and Governor of Central Macedonia region in Greece,
said: "The cultural and creative sectors suffered
financial losses up to 70% in 2020 alone: this is
putting at risk not only jobs and businesses, but our
own heritage and identity. Culture and creativity
strengthen the social cohesion of our communities, they
are at the heart of our identities and traditions.
Investing in culture means investing in our very
existence as European citizens, this is why we must
provide bolder and stronger support to these sectors at
EU, national, regional and local level."
Addressing the CoR plenary session today, Commissioner Mariya Gabriel said:
"Being hit particularly hard by the pandemic, cultural
and creative sectors need and deserve the best of our
efforts. Cities and regions are key allies in this
endeavour. With our joint support, we will make sure
that culture can and will play a key role in building a
greener, more vibrant and more resilient Europe."
After the debate, CoR rapporteur Giuseppe Varacalli (IT/Renew E.)
presented his
opinion on Restart of Cultural and Creative
Sectors
. The report urges to ensure that EU funds reach all
forms of the culture and creative sector and all those
who are involved in creating it.
"Local and regional authorities should use EU funding
and the various programmes and measures to promote
individual artists and develop opportunities for events
and exchanges, including on a virtual basis. This can
help unearth the wealth of creative potential hidden in
the regions, and thus make those artists ambassadors
and promoters of their own cultures. Cities and regions
that are able to harness their history, tell their
stories, renew and re-imagine themselves become
attractive not only to tourists and the economic
activities they generate, but also to businesses that
locate there", said Mr Varacalli,
Member of Gerace Municipal Council in Reggio Calabria.
MEP Laurence Farreng (FR/Renew E.),
European Parliament's rapporteur on
effective measures to ‘green’ Erasmus+,
Creative Europe and the European Solidarity
Corps
, added: "After a year on pause, it has become clear
that culture will need Europe for its relaunch; but it
is even more certain that Europe will need culture for
its recovery. This future recovery must take place as
close as possible to citizens, at the local level, but
it also needs a European effort to ensure that no
artist, author, musician, comedian or director is
forgotten. I am therefore pleased that the European
Committee of the Regions has added its voice to
Parliament's call to allocate at least 2% of the
recovery funds to these key players in our economy and,
most importantly, in our European identity."
More information:
Cultural and creative sectors have a specific place in
the
Joint Action Plan
signed between the European Committee of the Regions
and Commissioner Gabriel's services (DG EAC, DG RTD and
JRC) in November 2020. It provides for strengthened
cooperation and policy exchanges, for instance, around
the European Capitals of Culture initiative, high-level
conferences and events, peer-learning projects and the
design and implementation of the new European Bauhaus
initiative.
The
CoR opinion
argues that the cultural and creative sectors should be
treated like producers of basic commodities, so that,
in the event of further extraordinary events such as
the COVID-19 pandemic, they are not penalised by a
lockdown. The Committee suggests drawing up common
guidelines to enable them continue operating, albeit
with restrictions in terms of accessibility. It
welcomes the recent
agreement
on the Creative Europe Programme, which secures EUR 2.2
billion support for artists and facilitates the
participation of small-scale cultural projects.
However, it calls to better integrate investment from
the various EU funds in culture and to increase the
possibility of co-financing to up to 80% for projects
undertaken by small players. Regions and cities agree
with the European Parliament on the need to earmark for
the cultural and creative sectors and industries at
least 2% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility funds.
They are also calling to use funding from
REACT-EU
and
SURE
instruments to support these sectors at national level.
Contact:
Lauri Ouvinen
Tel. +32 473536887
lauri.ouvinen@cor.europa.eu