Culture Action Europe
CAE
Culture Action Europe (CAE) is a major European network of cultural organisations, artists, activists, academics and policy-makers.
ID: 856201551367-02
Lobbying Activity
25 Nov 2025
Culture Action Europe as one of the largest European cultural networks bringing together 290 members from 25 countries, outlines the following suggestions for the AgoraEU programme Regulation proposal: 1. Earmark the Creative Europe Culture strand. Fix the Culture strands envelope directly in Article 11 so its budget (at least 1796 million) is visibly ring-fenced within AgoraEU and guaranteed in negotiations. 2. Ensure AgoraEU's budget is topped up with revenues from digital fines. Reintroduce a programme-specific adjustment mechanism (as used in the 20212027 MFF), which allowed a share of antitrust and competition fines imposed by the European Commission to be redirected to seven EU funding programmes, including Creative Europe. Ensure that fines collected under the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act, and the AI Act are used to top up AgoraEU. The 8.6 billion funding envelope proposed by the Commission represents only the bare minimum required to sustain and develop Europes cultural sector. We therefore call on the European institutions to further strengthen and increase this budget as negotiations move forward. 3. Publish an Annex with specific funding lines. Restore an Annex (as in Creative Europe 2021-2027) that lists eligible actions under the Culture strand, which would give applicants clarity, certainty, and continuity. Add new funding lines. If the programmes budget is increased, introduce new funding lines: (1) a rapid-response scheme to protect artistic freedom and support artists at risk; (2) micro-grant fast track for first-time applicants/emerging artists and cultural professionals to test ideas and cooperate cross-border; (3) acquisition support so cultural institutions can buy or programme European works, extending the life and reach of EU-funded content. Place all three in the Annex and reference them in Article 4 as objectives. 4. Sectoral approach. If the programmes budget is increased, retain sector-specific actions and extend them to visual arts and performing arts (alongside music, books and publishing, heritage and architecture) to reflect the ecosystem fairly. 5. Social conditionality and fair pay under simplified funding. As lump sums become a default funding format, add a safeguard so that grant beneficiaries commit (via an EU Charter on Working Conditions in the Cultural Sector / a declaration of honour / code of practice) to providing fair pay and decent working conditions. 6. Clarify funding for the Programme Desks. With the cross-sectoral strand discontinued, explicitly state in AgoraEU where and how Programme Desks are financed so their role is not weakened. Maintain distinct Creative Europe Culture Desks, separate from CERV National Contact Points. 7. Retain the Programme Committee as a governance structure (comitology). Reinstate a Creative Europe Committee under Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 to give Member States a formal say on Annual Work Programmes. 8. Strengthen the visibility of the Creative Europe Culture strand. Require a Culture strand logo in beneficiary communications and promotions. 9. Provide opportunities to support culture and socially engaged arts as drivers of democracy, social cohesion, and community building. At the same time, we highlight the need to introduce dedicated structural components for cultures across other EU funding programmes, such as the European Competitiveness Fund, Horizon Europe, the Global Europe Instrument, National and Regional Partnership Plans (2% for culture), the European Social Fund, and others. More detailed proposals are in the attachment.
Read full responseResponse to Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness
11 Nov 2025
The Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness provides an opportunity to embrace cultural participation and cultural democracy as a means of bringing people together, fostering intergenerational solidarity, and forging a future in which citizens are empowered to exercise their cultural and democratic rights. It is vital that the Strategy recognises and values culture, both as a policy field in its own right as well as a cross-cutting policy priority. In this regard, we recommend: 1. Mainstreaming culture into intergenerational fairness. 2. Supporting cultural participation for all. 3. Embracing the principles of cultural democracy. 4. Promoting culture and health and well-being. The attachment explains the reasoning behind each of our recommendations and offers further insight and evidence to support them.
Read full responseMeeting with Mario Furore (Member of the European Parliament)
28 Oct 2025 · AgoraEU
Response to Digital package – digital omnibus
14 Oct 2025
Culture Action Europe considers it essential that any measures aimed at simplifying rules, increasing data availability, or facilitating data sharing under the Digital Omnibus do not come at the expense of citizens cultural rights. With this in mind, we recommend: 1. Protecting creators rights in the age of generative AI. 2. Enabling cultural agency in data and digital governance. 3. Strengthening European cultural data spaces. The attached document explains the reasoning behind each of our recommendations.
Read full responseResponse to European Innovation Act
3 Oct 2025
Culture Action Europe welcomes the development of the European Innovation Act and emphasises that the essential role of cultureboth as a sector in its own right and as a catalyst for othersmust be fully embraced in the regulation. We hope the EIA will create an opportunity to address the constraints that currently limit the culture and creative sectors from unlocking their full potential within strong innovation ecosystems, while valuing the benefits culture brings across diverse sectors. It is vital that the EIA recognises and values culture, not only as a driver of innovation but also as an inherent public good. In this regard, we recommend: 1. Embracing the role of the cultural and creative sectors in innovation. 2. Recognising culture as a strategic priority. 3. Safeguarding artistic freedom and fair remuneration for artists. 4. Promoting STEAM approaches and arts education. 5. Recognising artistic research as part of the innovation ecosystem. The attached document explains the reasoning behind each of our recommendations.
Read full responseMeeting with Thomas Schmitz (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen)
10 Sept 2025 · Exchange of view on the cultural sector
Response to Apply AI Strategy
4 Jun 2025
Culture Action Europe is one of the largest European networks that brings together over 280 cultural organisations and networks across 35 countries.We highlight three main considerations that must be integrated into the upcoming Apply AI Strategy regarding the use of AI in the cultural sector. 1. Authorisation, Remuneration, and Transparency Generative AI heavily relies on high-quality, diverse, human-generated data https://shorturl.at/voZG9. A significant portion of this data originates from the cultural and creative sectors (photos, videos, texts, music, etc.). At the same time, generative AI threatens creators by using their content without consent or compensation. For example, Meta has scraped data from piracy sites to train its AI systems https://shorturl.at/91V0o. There is a clear disconnect between the value that cultural data contributes to AI development and the lack of proportionate remuneration to its original creators. Small and independent creators are particularly vulnerable and face significant risks from AI systems that mimic their style (resulting in labour displacement and loss of income). We call for: - the establishment of licensing frameworks and, potentially, a financial contribution from AI developers to support small and independent creators in Europe; - clear documentation and disclosure of the data, especially copyrighted material, used in model training; - mandatory labelling of AI-generated content. 2. Support for European Cultural Content and Strategic Digital Development To build a resilient cultural sector, the implementation of the Apply AI Strategy must include targeted support for digital transformation in culture through EU funding mechanisms, particularly in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (for example, through the successor to the Digital Europe Programme). We recommend: - dedicated funding calls for cultural organisations to develop economic models and frameworks that ensure fair payment for creators; - exploration of new licensing models, blockchain applications, and other tools to boost the autonomy and digital self-sufficiency of cultural actors; - support for the creation of data spaces that empower creators to control, monetise, and share their content on their own terms. 3. Participation in AI Governance Whatever structures, institutions, and mechanisms are established by the European Commission and Member States to apply AI in the cultural sector, representatives from the cultural sector must be meaningfully included in AI governance frameworks. In particular, within the AI Act, the cultural sector should be represented in the European Artificial Intelligence Board, the Advisory Forum, the Scientific Panel of Independent Experts, and national notifying and market surveillance authorities. Cultural sector representatives should also be included in the governance structures of AI Factories selected under the AI Continent Action Plan, especially those focused on culture. The selection and appointment of cultural sector representatives to these bodies should be open, transparent, inclusive, and clearly communicated by the European Commission and relevant national authorities.
Read full responseResponse to European Democracy Shield
23 May 2025
Culture Action Europe, a pan-European network representing 280 cultural organisations across 35 countries, welcomes the European Democracy Shield initiative and highlights the crucial role of culture in strengthening democracy. We propose the following measures: 1. Include Artistic Freedom in the Rule of Law Report. Freedom of artistic expression and institutional autonomy are increasingly under pressure across the EU. According to the Eurobarometer, 20% of Europeans disagree that artists in their country can express ideas freely without fear of censorship or retaliation https://shorturl.at/3hu48. Censorship, political dismissals, and budget cuts, often aimed at non-traditional or experimental work, are frequently driven by ruling parties, leaving artists with little national protection. We recommend including a dedicated section on Artistic Freedom in the Rule of Law Report. This could either be a separate section alongside the current four, or part of a broader Freedom of Expression pillar that should cover media, academic, and artistic freedoms. 2. Strong Support for Culture in the Next Multiannual Financial Framework.Cultural participation strengthens democracy and social cohesion. According to the Commission study, people engaged in culture are more likely to vote, volunteer, and feel connected to others. They also develop a stronger sense of belonging, empathy, and trust, especially towards people from diverse backgrounds https://shorturl.at/8sJJS. Promoting European culture also helps counter disinformation and hybrid threats. Authoritarian regimes view culture as power. In 2024, Russia spent over 1 billion on propaganda through media and culture https://shorturl.at/IsnxS, while the EUs Creative Europe budget was just 335 million. Therefore, we call for a robust, independent Creative Europe programme in the 2028-2034 MFF. It should continue supporting cross-border cultural cooperation, networks and platforms, international mobility, and expand access for young and emerging artists. We propose introducing a micro-grants scheme (5000-15000) for first-time applicants and young artists. Using a simplified, lump-sum model with a light application process, these grants would enable micro-projects and build capacity for future collaboration. Creative Europe should also have its own standalone budget line. If culture is to support democracy, it needs its own funding. Merging it with other programmes such as CERV would pressure cultural projects to meet criteria designed for civic engagement, rather than recognise cultures role as a space for reflection, critique, and experimentation. It would also mean that cultural organisations must compete with civil society organisations for the same funding pool, although both require dedicated support to do their work well, in ways that complement each other. The full creative and experimental potential of the arts depends on their autonomy and independence in decision-making and content creation. 3. Safeguards for Democracy in AI Act Implementation.AI has been instrumentalised by autocracies. For example, Russia feeds pro-Kremlin narratives into AI training datasets, as exposed by the Atlantic Council. Their network of propaganda websites, branded as Pravda (Truth), is repeatedly cited on Wikipedia, one of the key data sources for training language models. AI systems do not discern between truth and falsehood; they amplify statistically common content. If authoritarian narratives dominate training data, AI will inevitably reproduce and reinforce them. As the EU implements the AI Act, Culture Action Europe calls for the following actions: - Implement mandatory labelling of AI-generated content and deepfakes, in line with Article 50(4) of the AI Act. - Adopt a more granular and transparent approach to disclosing training data sources for AI models. The current draft version of the AI Code of Practice and summary of data used for training does not provide meaningful detail.
Read full responseResponse to A Culture Compass for Europe
9 May 2025
Culture contributes to the EUs key priorities: competitiveness, democracy, and security. But to do so effectively, it needs dedicated policy and funding that give artists the freedom and means to respond creatively and independently to challenges. Culture Action Europe (CAE) proposes the following logic for the Compass https://shorturl.at/smweQ: 1) Strengthen culture as a sector through a standalone Creative Europe programme. 2) Recognise culture across other policy areas as a vector: instrumental, but not instrumentalised. As shown in our State of Culture report, instrumentalisation does little to improve sector conditions https://shorturl.at/TRXsg. 1. Competitiveness Evidence: Culture is a major EU economic sector that enhances global competitiveness and drives innovation. Each 1 invested in EU cultural action can yield up to 11 in GDP https://shorturl.at/NfTBS. Yet cultural workers report precarious working conditions; over two-thirds of them lack adequate social protection https://shorturl.at/xJFhS.96% of sector representatives support a European status for artists to ensure fair pay and social rights. Generative AI also threatens creators by using their content without consent or compensation. For example, Meta has scraped data from piracy sites to train its AI systems https://shorturl.at/91V0o. If Europe wants to remain competitive, it must ensure fair conditions for artists, value creativity in innovation, and protect space for experimentation and critical reflection. Our vision of competitiveness is values-based. CAE recommends: - Establish an EU-wide definition for cultural professionals and set minimum standards for fair working conditions. - Recognise artistic research as a valid knowledge production method in EU research and competitiveness funding https://shorturl.at/LsSlx. - Ensure AI regulation protects creators from unauthorised use of their content and guarantees fair remuneration. 2. Democracy Evidence: Cultural participation builds democracy and cohesion (Porto Santo Charter). It increases civic engagement and strengthens empathy and trust. However, artistic freedom is under threat: 34% of respondents in our Creative Pulse survey reported limitations on their autonomy https://shorturl.at/xJFhS. Recent examples from Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, etc. show political interference in culture: dismissals, budget cuts, and censorship. At the same time, the EU lacks tools to intervene and allocates just 0.2% of its budget to culture (disproportionately to the sectors value). CAE recommends: - Allocate at least 2% of the MFF 20282034 to culture via a strong standalone Creative Europe programme https://shorturl.at/0Kwmd. - Integrate artistic freedom into the EU Rule of Law Report https://shorturl.at/gbEcN. - Recognise cultural democracy and socially engaged arts as priorities in the Culture Compass and next EU Work Plan for Culture. 3. Security Evidence: Autocratic regimes weaponise culture. In 2024, Russia spent over 1 billion on cultural propagandathree times the Creative Europe budget (335 million) https://shorturl.at/6zt6i.As of March 2025, Russia has damaged 1419 cultural heritage sites and 2233 cultural facilities in Ukraine https://shorturl.at/iA241.China also extends influence through Confucius Institutes, Belt and Road cultural exchanges, TikTok, and media. CAE believes that investing in cross-border European cultural cooperation rooted in democratic values is a strategic defence against disinformation and hybrid threats https://shorturl.at/YymRQ. CAE recommends: - Include culture in the European Democracy Shield, Internal Security Strategy, and ReArm Europe as defence against disinformation and psychological warfare. - Integrate culture into the EU Preparedness Union Strategy and mental health policy to strengthen resilience https://shorturl.at/2sYT3. - Allocate 2% of Russias frozen assets to Ukraines cultural recovery.
Read full responseMeeting with Benedetta Scuderi (Member of the European Parliament)
22 Apr 2025 · culture
Meeting with Glenn Micallef (Commissioner) and
22 Apr 2025 · Funding for Culture in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (‘MFF’)
Meeting with Emma Rafowicz (Member of the European Parliament)
22 Apr 2025 · CULT
Meeting with Glenn Micallef (Commissioner) and
20 Mar 2025 · Introductory meeting
Meeting with Marcos Ros Sempere (Member of the European Parliament)
17 Mar 2025 · Meeting with Culture Action Europe
Meeting with Laurence Farreng (Member of the European Parliament) and Europa Nostra and European Cultural Foundation
4 Feb 2025 · Evénement "A New Cultural Deal for Europe"
Meeting with Zoltán Tarr (Member of the European Parliament)
4 Feb 2025 · CAE event
Meeting with András Tivadar Kulja (Member of the European Parliament)
17 Jan 2025 · Mental health and culture
Meeting with Nela Riehl (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair)
13 Jan 2025 · Exchange with Culture Action Europe
Meeting with Maria Guzenina (Member of the European Parliament)
16 Dec 2024 · CULT priorities
Meeting with Sandro Ruotolo (Member of the European Parliament)
9 Sept 2024 · 2024-2029 priorities for the Cultural sector
Meeting with Francisco José Millán Mon (Member of the European Parliament) and Europa Nostra and European Cultural Foundation
17 Jul 2024 · European Cultural Policy: European Cultural Routes, Ways of Saint James, Education
Meeting with Laurence Farreng (Member of the European Parliament) and Society of Audiovisual Authors and
17 Jul 2024 · Politique culturelle et nouveau mandat du Parlement européen