The proposed programme is an ambitious statement of faith in the creative and cultural sectors to stimulate growth and create jobs, particularly for young people:
“With a proposed budget of €1.8 billion for the period 2014-2020, it would be a much-needed boost for the cultural and creative industries, which are a major source of jobs and growth in Europe.
The new programme would allocate more than €900 million in support of the cinema and audiovisual sector (area covered by current MEDIA programme) and almost € 500 million for culture (presently covered by the Culture programme).
The Commission is also proposing to allocate more than €210 million for a new financial guarantee facility, which would enable cultural operators to access up to €1 billion in bank loans, and would provide around €60 million in support of trans-national policy cooperation and would also aim to foster innovative approaches to audience building and new business models.”
The proposal combines the previously separate MEDIA and Culture programmes (they remain separate strands) and adds in the new guarantee mechanism, and aims to reach 100m. people. EACEA will continue to manage the scheme. The proposal is under discussion by the 27 member states, so here’s hoping that this farsighted approach will trigger fresh investment for our sector.
