Dutch Europa Platform Sends Open Letter to Minister Heinen on Creative Europe
11 Jul 2025
Culture is not a luxury. It is a cornerstone of European democracy, resilience, and a sense of belonging. It builds social trust, counters disinformation, and strengthens Europe’s creative economy. That is why we initiated the Cultural Deal for Europe with Culture Action Europe and Europa Nostra: a campaign and urgent call to place culture at the heart of EU policy and ensure it receives at least 2% of the next EU budget.
On July 16 2025 the European Commission will present their proposal for the Multi-annual Financial Framework. It is then up to Member States to react, as explained on this European Parliament page. European cultural & cultural heritage organisations and creative industries are calling on to decision makers to keep the Creative Europe programme standalone and to better fund it.
In an open letter to Dutch Finance Minister Heinen the Europa Platform ask him to maintain Creative Europe as an independent program:
“This month, the European Commission will present its proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the EU’s long-term budget for the period after 2027. As a member of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) of the Council of the European Union, your position is decisive in the negotiations on this budget. We urge you to support your fellow European Ministers of Culture and to maintain the Creative Europe program as a separate program focused on the cultural and creative sectors within the European budget.
This will ensure that this small but impactful program remains independent and is not subsumed under larger thematic funds. In the latter case, Creative Europe will lose its effectiveness.
With its very modest budget, currently only 0.2% of the total EU budget (€2.44 billion over seven years), Creative Europe has a measurable and strategic impact….. Creative Europe is cost-effective and delivers clear European added value: it generates funding and cross-border collaboration. Cultural organizations share revenues, reduce costs, exploit opportunities, and develop joint solutions, such as shared platforms, co-productions, and training programs.”
