During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels (17-20 May 2021), MEPs debate on the Creative Europe Programme, the European Commission's framework programme for support to the culture and audiovisual sectors. With a budget of €1.46 billion (9% higher than its predecessors), it will support Europe's cultural and creative sectors. Opening statement by Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D,IT), rapporteur and by Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

GABRIEL, Mariya (EPP, BG, EC)

SMERIGLIO, Massimiliano (NI, IT)

creative europe (T)

Creative Europe Programme: opening statement by Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), rapporteur and by Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), Mr president, commissioner, colleagues. I'm proud to bring to the parliament the results obtained during the negotiations on the Creative Europe programme. I'd like to thank my colleagues, the shadow rapporteurs, for their contributions. Thanks to a good spirit of cooperation, I had the support and trust necessary to be able to negotiate on behalf of all of us, and with this approach, we were able to achieve a result that I think most of us will be happy with that.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), The new Creative Europe programme emerge emerges in a context that is completely different from that not only seven years ago, but also that different from when the negotiations started. The context has changed because of the constant progress made in the digital revolution and also the requirement to respond to the serious crisis that the creative and cultural sectors have been going through for over a year.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), Covid has highlighted the structural fragility of the European cultural world. All sectors financed by the programme have been severely tested by the measures to counteract the pandemic, which led to a total shutdown of the cultural world, which was quite simply devastating. If we want to change the model of development, culture and knowledge are crucial because they are essential in economic terms, but also for people's well-being.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), I'm very pleased with the new elements of the programme, starting with the budget, which goes from one point four to 2.5 billion euros. We would have preferred a full doubling of the budget as originally requested. But we're pleased that also, thanks to the work of the Parliament, the programme has been recognised as being one of the flagship programmes whose resources were increased during negotiations on the MFF.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), This is an important signal from the council and commission with regard to culture. And also with regard to the only fund that directly supports the cultural and creative sectors, we believe that synergies with other funds will ensure further and significant support.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), Thanks to the work we've done, we've been able to boost the three strands of the programme culture, media and the cross-sectional strand with important new elements, starting from the fact that the actions that will be supported by the new programme will have to reflect three crosscutting priorities social inclusion, reducing the environmental impact and gender equality.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), The new programme will be in line with European strategic pillars, the European Green Deal, the gender equality strategy and the disability strategy. The new programme will support the development of artistic talents and for the first time there will be a specific reference and to recognising and promoting the role of women in art and culture.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), The Parliament wanted the programme to support gender equality and include the goal of non-discrimination. The programme will promote female talent and support the artistic careers and professional careers of women at all levels. I believe that the cultural and creative sectors today have a crucial responsibility to provide a clear signal in favour of gender equality.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), The Parliament managed to reintroduce the article on European value added, boosting European identity and also promoting the extraordinary artistic, musical, architectural and cinematographic diversity that is characteristic of Europe. We also have the European and International Mobility Programme for artists and cultural operators, the cultural sector will be included in four areas music editor and cultural heritage and design.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), The Media Strand will continue to support independent productions, European co-production, European networks of cinemas and the video on demand operators and will also promote new models of production. I'm pleased that for the next seven years the subprogram will continue to be able to use the media logo with which we've been familiar since 1991.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), The increase in the budget that we obtained has also meant that we were able to boost the cross-cultural strand, introducing a new budget line on media literacy, an important action against fake news and also to support high quality journalism.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), To conclude, the Parliament has worked to ensure that the programme was as accessible as possible, ensuring less red tape and simplified procedures with the goal of making it easier for small and medium sized local organisations to participate. I'd like to thank the German presidency that enabled us to speed up and conclude negotiations during the semester with an attitude that was always constructive.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), And last but not least, I'd like to thank the commitment of Commissioner Gabriel and Commissioner Breton for their commitment and also officials of DG EIC, DG Connect and the Secretariat of the Parliament who are involved in the negotiations. I hope that tomorrow we will be able to celebrate the adoption of this programme that focuses on culture as a driver of social cohesion for the European recovery.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Massimiliano SMERIGLIO (S&D, IT), The Europe we want needs to be able to invest in beauty and imagination and the power of a great story: books, songs, works of art, creativity. Their purpose is to amaze us, to take our breath away and make us feel part of a story that is bigger than our own individual existence. That's the purpose of culture. The economic recovery is important, but it also ensures wellbeing for each and every citizen. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Thank you, president members. I'd like to congratulate the Rapporteur Massimiliano smashingly on all the shadow rapporteurs and members of the committee for all the work that has gone into this, today is an important stage in a process that started in 2018, which as a companion does during a period of unprecedented pandemics and which has particularly affected the set of culture and creation.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, With the adoption of the 21-27 Creative Europe programme, we have an important symbol in an increasing number of member states. The culture and creation sectors will be able to start to welcome their audiences a little by little. Of course, we are far from being back to normal and this sector is has been made fragile by this by this pandemic.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Museums, theatres, etc have seen their revenue fall and their digital presence has given us such a contribution during the health crisis. I'm particularly happy, thanks to you and your efforts, that the Creative Europe budget has been increased to two point four billion euros, 63 percent more than in the previous financial framework. Is that enough? No, but we need to do whatever we can with what we've got.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, So the new programme will be strengthened in support to culture, linguistic services, heritage and competitiveness of the creation and culture sectors, which is a good, good piece of news for those in the sector. And it's the only instrument of the union specifically dedicated to culture which will help the sector so badly hurt by the crisis. As you know, the programme falls within the continuity of the previous programme.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, The sectoral approach will be strengthened by music, heritage, architecture, competitiveness and innovation of the sector will be at the centre of our concerns with creative innovation labs. Creative Europe will intervene if it has added value, the objective being cooperation, networking and the dissemination of good practise, including artistic and cultural contributions, which we will be guided by the principles of inclusion, equality including gender equality, diversity and participation.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Also environmental and sustainability concerns within the broader perspective of the Green Deal. One of the new elements in the programme is support to the information media. We will support adaptation of the sector structurally in order to safeguard the pluralism of the media quality journalism for the people.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Once the Parliament has adopted the programme, we will act quickly within the respect of the interinstitutional rules and comitology. In the coming weeks, we will launch the largest possible number of calls in order to unblock the first funding before the end of the year. This first year of implementation will be difficult and we need to do a maximum.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, But we'll try to catch up on that delay and we're already working on 2022. That's the essence of the decision that we took to have as much of the budget as possible in 2022-23-24 in order to face the urgency. Creative Europe needs to be seen within the panoply of European programmes Horizon Europe benefiting culture creation. Because one thing is certain cultural culture has its place. It has a role to play in the relaunch of our economies and our societies. That is the essence of our action. Thank you.