Supports cultural and creative sectors through funding and cooperation.
Creative Europe is the European Commission's flagship program to support the cultural and creative sectors. It has a budget of €2.44 billion for 2021-2027, nearly double the previous period. The program is divided into two main strands - Culture and MEDIA - plus a cross-sectoral strand. The Culture strand supports cross-border cooperation projects, European networks, platforms for emerging artists, and initiatives in sectors like music, books, and cultural heritage. The MEDIA strand focuses on strengthening the European audiovisual industry through development funding, distribution support, and training programs. Key priorities include fostering artistic creation, promoting European works, supporting artist mobility, and stimulating the digital and green transitions in cultural sectors. The program aims to safeguard cultural diversity while boosting the economic potential of creative industries. Typical grants range from €60,000 to €2 million for cooperation projects. Eligibility is open to cultural organizations from EU member states and some non-EU countries. Selection criteria emphasize European added value, quality of content and activities, dissemination, and project management. Recent beneficiaries include pan-European music platform Liveurope, literature translation project Versopolis, and film distribution initiative Europa Cinemas. The program also funds prizes like the EU Prize for Literature and European Heritage Awards.