Our Response to the Artist and Cultural Recovery in the EU

ELIA warmly welcomes the CULT Committee’s report on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU, officially approved by the European Parliament on 20 October 2021. The policy recommendations in the report are relevant now more than ever as the sector is trying to recover after being severely hit by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ELIA particularly supports the holistic approach to the recovery of the cultural sector reflected by this report. We stress the strong connection between the cultural and education sectors and welcome the fact that the report explicitly calls for greater synergies between the two in point 12:

[The European Parliament] Encourages greater synergy between the cultural and educational sectors, and the promotion of greater participation of artistic and cultural schools and institutions in activities under Erasmus+, and in other actions under EU programmes, both for students and teachers; calls on the Member States to fully include and promote access to art education, vocational and educational training and academic qualifications, as part of a holistic approach for the CCSI’s recovery and that of society as a whole; notes the importance of providing access to lifelong learning, upskilling and reskilling and training through, among other things, mentoring programmes, as well as the development of EU-wide training materials for the transition from education to cultural and creative employment;

We also join the European Parliament in calling attention to the urgent need of creating opportunities for the younger generation, who are very much affected by the pandemic, to enable them to start careers in the cultural and creative sectors and access education in the arts.

The Parliament’s report also highlights the need for better legislation to tackle a number of structural issues affecting artists and other cultural and creative workers, for instance through the increase of social security measures, and improved support and funding schemes.

Especially key is the urgency expressed by the Parliament for the protection of freedom of artistic expression throughout the EU, and the need to guarantee gender equality and inclusion within the field.

ELIA is of the opinion that in order to be successful, this report requires urgent support from the European Commission, followed by policy and legislation change at EU member state level.

We align with our colleague networks: IETM, EAEA, Circostrada, EDN, EFA and TEH, in highlighting the following possible areas of action:

• DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion: integration of the CCSs in the European Semester;

• EU Member States: inclusion of the working conditions of artists and cultural professionals as one of the priority themes of the Council Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026;

• DG Education and Culture: Design of an EU action plan for protecting artistic freedom, in the framework of the EU Democracy Action Plan.

See the full text of the policy statement by IETM, co-drafted with EAEA and co-signed by EDN, Circostrada, EFA, TEH and EAIPA here.