European Commission proposes to double Creative Europe budget

European arts and culture organisations could see a ramping up of support from the European Commission (EC) after it proposed to double the budget for AgoraEU, the potential initiative that’s set to include the Creative Europe programme from 2027 onwards.

Published by the European Commission last week in its Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the proposed budget has allocated €8.6bn ($10bn) for AgoraEU, the new programme merging Creative Europe with the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV).

That would represent more than double the €3.94bn combined current budgets of Creative Europe (€2.44bn) and CERV (€1.5bn).

This is the first proposal by the Commission, which will now enter a negotiation process between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of EU member states.

The negotiations are expected to begin this autumn and will continue throughout 2026-2027.

The Culture strand, which comprises 33% of Creative Europe, receives a 123% increase under the proposals, from €805.9m under Creative Europe from 2021-2027 to €1.8bn in the Commission’s proposal.

The Media strand, at 58% of Creative Europe, receives a 126% increase, from €1.4bn to €3.2bn; while the 9% cross-sectoral strand is absent from the Commission’s proposal.

The AgoraEU programme will have three strands: the Creative Europe – Culture strand; the Media+ strand; and the Democracy, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values strand (previously CERV).

Response & reaction

The proposals come amid growing calls from some in Europe’s TV and film industry to support local producers and regional content, particularly in the face of US streamer expansion.

The International Federation of Film Distributors’ and Publishers’ Associations (Fiad) has welcomed the proposed budget increase, but in a statement expressed concern that the merging of Creative Europe with CERV could lead to a “dilution of focus away from the film and audiovisual ecosystem”.

“The Media strand within the Creative Europe Programme has been instrumental in supporting the efforts made by film distributors to connect European films with diverse audiences,” said Robert Heslop, Fiad secretary general.

“We call on EU policymakers to maintain a strong and focused Media+ strand within the future AgoraEU Programme that enhances the competitiveness of theatrical distribution and promotes cultural diversity.”

The Fiad statement also calls on the legislators to increase the share of the budget proposed for Media+.

In May a letter signed by 16 organisations representing sectors across the film industry said strengthening the Media initiative is “only possible by maintaining it as a distinct programme”.