CULTURAL CREATORS FRIENDSHIP GROUP

MANIFESTO

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Authors, performers, cultural workers and other cultural creators with their creativity and work contribute substantially to the wealth, pride and diversity of European culture. They play a significant role in the success of the creative industries and of the cultural ecosystem as a whole. Therefore, it is the EU decision-makers’ responsibility to protect and to promote European creators in order to ensure that they can continue to create culture and, in doing so, bring lasting benefits to the European society and economy.

The previous (8th) term of the European Parliament has been intense and rich in terms of legislative acts with an impact on the Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCS) and the creators within, most importantly the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, the Directive on Online Broadcasting and Retransmissions and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. The current (9th) term of the EP is bringing further political initiatives, including the future Creative Europe programme for the years 2021-2027, the new Digital Services Act, as well as the implementation of the aforementioned legislation in the Member States.

The previously existing intergroup “Cultural and Creative Industries” already made the case for the importance of the cultural and creative industries in the European economy. Cultural creators, however, face specific problems and needs. Creators are the initiators of creative processes and at the very origin of the economic strength of the CCS. Therefore, they deserve a specific emphasis and a dedicated attention by EU decision-makers. Creators are to be brought back to the political focus, and we need to pay particular attention to topics concerning their labour rights, their social and working conditions, gender equality, and the challenges and opportunities related to the digital era.

OBJECTIVES

I. Raising awareness for and procuring a better understanding of cultural creators’ conditions among EU decision-makers in order to nurture European culture and secure its diversity and sustainability.

II. Improving relevant legal frameworks and industry practices that affect cultural creators’ economic, labour, social and moral rights, including from a gender equality perspective, and the quality of European production in order to foster incentives for cultural creators to continue creating quality works in an increasingly globalised industry within the CCS.

III. Bringing together organisations representing cultural creators from all sectors in order to establish a frequent dialogue with EU decision-makers from a broad political spectrum and with different perspectives, ensuring a horizontal approach across diverse policy areas in connection with relevant committees.

IV. Assessing shortcomings in the current EU legislative framework in order to protect creators and making recommendations for future legislative reform.

MAIN AREAS OF WORK

(1) Labour rights, social and working conditions
(2) Funding and supporting creativity
(3) Cultural education, life-long learning and career development
(4) Opportunities and challenges of the digital era
(5) Promoting the European dimension of cultural diversity
(6) Fostering international cultural relations at EU level

DOCUMENTS & INITIATIVES

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