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The European Commission has presented its vision for a vibrant and integrated European cultural landscape with the launch of the Culture Compass for Europe. This forward-looking framework is designed to shape EU cultural policy, to ensure that culture plays a central role in fostering European identity, celebrating diversity and promoting “creative excellence”.
Program’s motto: “Europe for Culture, Culture for Europe”
The adopted EU-wide “cultural compass” aims to leverage the benefits of culture through the promotion of European cultural assets, as well as addressing the major hurdles hindering the cultural and creative “industries”. These include restrictions on artistic expression, the precarious livelihoods of artists, unequal opportunities for cultural participation, and the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the art-creative sectors.
The “Culture Compass” will guide EU-wide policies in four key directions: – in upholding and strengthening European values and cultural rights; – in empowering artist and cultural professionals and supporting “creators”; – in drawing on culture and cultural heritage to become more competitive, resilient and cohesive; and – in championing international cultural relations and partnerships.
The Compass’ ambitions and political ownership will be underpinned by a proposal from the Commission to the European Parliament and Council for a draft Joint Declaration between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission. A new report on the State of Culture in the EU will track progress in the cultural and creative ecosystem, with particular emphasis on artistic freedom.
More on the issue in “creative Europe” program at: https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe
New initiatives
Furthermore, several new initiatives will be launched in the coming months, including:
– a new EU Artists Charter for fair working conditions for artists and cultural workers, a European Prize for Performing Arts;
– a cultural stakeholders’ dialogue,
– creating the EU-wide cultural data hub and a Youth Cultural Ambassadors Network to improve young people’s access to culture through a voluntary framework for national culture and cultural heritage passes;
– an AI strategy for the cultural and creative sectors, and an update if the EU strategy on international cultural relations are also foreseen.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_2628
In times of uncertainty and change, culture strengthens European democracy, social cohesion, competitiveness and resilience. This chimes with the latest Eurobarometer on Culture )May 2025) that shows that 87% of respondents believe that culture and cultural heritage should have a very important place in the Union, so that citizens feel more European.
Artistic freedom remains a pillar of democratic societies, and 88% of Europeans said that it matters to them. 77% believe that artists can freely express their ideas and opinions without fear of censorship or retaliation by their government. However, perceptions of artistic freedom vary across Member States.
Almost half of Europeans engage in artistic activities: 49% of respondents indicated that they participated in artistic activities in the previous 12 months. This is a significant increase compared to 2013, when the figure stood at 37%.
At the same time, 73% of surveyed Europeans are concerned that the rise of generative AI may have an impact on employment or earnings for artists. Less than half of Europeans (48%) said they could tell the difference between an AI piece of art and one crafted by a human. More broadly, fair pay remains an issue: just 51% say that they believe artists in their country generally receive fair and appropriate remuneration for their work.
Europeans also believe their country and the EU should work more closely together on cultural policy matters, with top priorities being:
– making the arts more accessible;
– protecting cultural heritage sites during wars, natural disasters or climate change;
– ensuring artists and cultural workers have fair pay and good working conditions.
Reference and source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1166