22/11/2011

The European Commission announced its detailed proposal for Creative Europe, the new programme for the cultural and creative sector and Erasmus for All, the new programme for education, training, youth and sport. Both programmes are part of the Commission's proposal for a multi-annual budget for 2014-2020.

The Creative Europe programme will bring the current Culture, MEDIA 2007 and MEDIA Mundus programmes together under a common framework which will support the cultural and creative sectors with a budget of €1.8 billion (+37%). The focus will be on helping cultural and audiovisual professionals to safeguard and promote cultural and linguistic diversity by making to make the most of the Single Market and to reaching new audiences in Europe and beyond, as well as promoting cultural diversity and contributing to the Europe 2020 objectives for jobs and sustainable growth.

"The potential of the culture and creative sectors to boost employment and growth in Europe is considerable”, said EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou. “EU funds also help thousands of artists and culture professionals to reach new audiences. Without the support of the Union, it would be difficult, even impossible, for them to break into new markets."

Erasmus for All would allocate €19.5 billion (+ 70%) over seven years; the increase underlines the priority given to investing in knowledge and skills to support job creation and growth in Europe. The programme would ensure that more people benefit from EU grants to study or train abroad; it would also promote cooperation between governments, educational institutions, businesses and other partners, to support the policy reforms needed to modernise education systems and promote innovation, entrepreneurship and employability.