The Creative Europe programme is the flagship instrument in support of the cultural and creative sectors – and the only one designed by the EU to support them specifically.

The new programme will continue to promote cultural and linguistic diversity, heritage and competitiveness, and will allow cultural and creative organisations and professionals to co-create and cooperate across borders and to reach wider audiences, tackling current societal questions and supporting emerging artists.

The new programme will invest 2.2 billion euro in the cultural and creative sectors, recognising the importance of culture and helping the sector recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from a 36% budget increase, MEPs have managed to secure more of a focus on inclusion and gender equality, as well as special support for contemporary and live music sectors that are among those hit hardest by the pandemic.