Green Paper - Unlocking the potential of cultural and creative industries
Date: 2010-04-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: culture industry, digital technology, financing method, information society, information technology, innovation, research and development

EN 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 27.4.2010 
COM(2010) 183 final 

GREEN PAPER 

Unlocking the potential of cultural and creative industries 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
 
GREEN PAPER 

Unlocking the potential of cultural and creative industries 

In the recent decades the world has been moving at a faster pace. For Europe and other 
parts of the world, the rapid roll-out of new technologies and increased globalisation has 
meant  a  striking  shift  away  from  traditional  manufacturing  towards  services  and 
innovation.  Factory  floors  are  progressively  being  replaced  by  creative  communities 
whose raw material is their ability to imagine, create and innovate.  

In this new digital economy, immaterial value increasingly determines material value, as 
consumers are looking for new and enriching "experiences". The ability to create social 
experiences and networking is now a factor of competitiveness.  

If Europe wants to remain competitive in this changing global environment, it needs to 
put  in  place  the  right  conditions  for  creativity  and  innovation  to  flourish  in  a  new 
entrepreneurial culture1.  

There is a lot of untapped potential in the cultural and creative industries to create growth 
and jobs. . To do so, Europe must identify and invest in new sources of smart, sustainable 
and  inclusive  growth  drivers  to  take  up  the  baton2.  Much  of  our  future  prosperity  will 
depend on how we use our resources, knowledge and creative talent to spur innovation. 
Building  on  our  rich  and  diverse  cultures,  Europe  must  pioneer  new  ways  of  creating 
value-added, but also of living together, sharing resources and enjoying diversity. 

Europe's  cultural  and  creative  industries  offer  a  real  potential  to  respond  to  these 
challenges  thereby  contributing  to  the  Europe  2020  strategy  and  some  of  its  flagship 
initiatives such as the Innovation Union, the Digital Agenda, tackling climate change, the 
Agenda for new skills and new jobs or an industrial policy for the globalisation era3.  

Many  recent  studies4  have  shown  that  the  cultural  and  creative  industries  (hereafter, 
"CCIs") represent highly innovative companies with a great economic potential and are 
one of Europe's most dynamic sectors, contributing around 2.6 % to the EU GDP, with a 

1 

2 

3 

4 

As expressed by President Barroso in his Political Guidelines for the next Commission. Full text: 
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/pdf/press_20090903_EN.pdf. 
See  Communication  from  the  Commission  "Europe  2020:  A  strategy  for  smart,  sustainable  and 
inclusive growth" - COM(2010) 2020. 
More particularly, cultural and creative industries are recognized as growth sectors in the 
abovementioned Commission Consultation Paper as well as in the Commission Staff Working 
Document "Challenges for EU support to innovation services – Fostering new markets and jobs 
through innovation" - SEC(2009) 1195. 
Study on the economy of culture in Europe, conducted by KEA for the European Commission, 
2006, abovementioned Commission Staff Working Document on challenges for EU support to 
innovation and UNCTAD (2008) report on "Creative Economy – the Challenge of Assessing the 
Creative Economy – towards informed policy-making". 

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
 
                                                 
high growth potential , and providing quality jobs to around 5 million people across EU-
275.  

Furthermore,  cultural  contents  play  a  crucial  role  in  the  deployment  of  the  information 
society,  fuelling  investments  in  broadband  infrastructures  and  services,  in  digital 
technologies, as well as in new consumer electronics and telecommunication devices.  

Beyond  their  direct  contribution  to  GDP,  CCIs  are  also  important  drivers  of  economic 
and social innovation in many other sectors.  

Imaginative  solutions  in  many  different  sectors  stem  from  creative  thinking  in  these 
industries, ranging from the regeneration or "branding" of countries, regions or cities to 
the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) skills (e-skills6) 
for lifelong learning, from stimulating research to communicating values in an accessible 
way, from product and service innovation to the promotion of low carbon and sustainable 
economic  environments,  from  inter-generational  dialogue  to  intercultural  dialogue  and 
community building7.  

Through  partnerships  with  education,  CCIs  can  also  play  a  major  role  in  equipping 
European citizens with the creative, entrepreneurial and intercultural skills they need. In 
this  sense,  CCIs  can  feed  into  European  beacons  of  excellence  and  help  us  become  a 
knowledge-based  society.  At  the  same  time,  these  skills  stimulate  demand  for  more 
diverse and sophisticated contents and products. This can shape the markets of tomorrow 
in a way which better fits European assets. 

Through these spill-over effects, Europe's CCIs offer a path towards a more imaginative, 
more cohesive, greener and more prosperous future. 

For CCIs to be able to make the most of the opportunities offered by cultural diversity, 
globalization and digitization,  which  are the key drivers  for the further development of 
these industries, the challenge is: 

•  To put the right enablers in place by increasing the capacity to experiment, 
innovate and succeed as entrepreneurs, and providing easier access to funding 
and the right mix of skills; 

•  To help CCIs develop in their local and regional environment as a launch 
pad  for  a  stronger  global  presence,  including  through  increased  exchange 
and mobility; and 

•  To move towards a creative economy by catalyzing the spill-over effects of 

CCIs on a wide range of economic and social contexts.  

5 

6 

7 

More information on this sector, and especially harmonised statistics, are needed to better monitor 
the  situation  of  CCIs  and  allow  for  analyses  of  the  current  situation,  trends,  difficulties  and 
challenges. 
The European Commission adopted in September 2007 a Communication presenting a long term 
e-skills  agenda:  "e-Skills  for  the  21st  Century:  Fostering  Competitiveness,  Growth  and  Jobs"  - 
COM(2007) 496 - and is currently considering to develop it further. 
See study on the impact of culture on creativity, conducted by KEA for the European 
Commission, 2009. 

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
                                                 
At  a  time  when  some  of  our  international  partners  already  largely  tap  into  the 
multifaceted resources of CCIs8, the EU still has to develop a strategic approach to make 
its  strong  and  attractive  cultural  assets  the  basis  of  a  powerful  creative  economy  and  a 
cohesive society.  

1. 

POLICY CONTEXT, OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE GREEN PAPER 

All these dimensions are at the core of the second objective of the European Agenda for 
Culture9 inviting the EU to harness the potential of culture as a catalyst of creativity and 
innovation in the framework of the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs. 

This  Agenda  was  endorsed  by  a  Council  Resolution  in  November  2007  and  by  the 
European Council in December 2007. In its conclusions of December 2007, the European 
Council recognized the importance of the cultural and creative sectors in the frame of the 
Lisbon Agenda, as well as the need to reinforce their potential, in particularly as far as 
SMEs are concerned. 

Further  Council  Conclusions  highlighted  the  need  to  strengthen  the  link  between 
education, training and CCIs as well as to maximise the potential of SMEs in cultural and 
creative  sectors10,  and  called  for  better  synergies  between  the  cultural  sector  and  other 
sectors of the economy and stronger links between cultural and other relevant policies11. 

In parallel, the European Parliament called among others on the Commission "to clarify 
what  constitutes  the  European  vision  of  culture,  creativity  and  innovation  and  to 
elaborate  political  measures  (…)  in  order  to  develop  European  creative  industries, 
incorporating these in a genuine European strategy for culture"12. 

The  Green  Paper  builds  on  recommendations  and  best  practices  identified  by  two 
national  expert  working  groups  -  on  CCIs  and  on  synergies  between  culture  and 
education - and by two civil society platforms - on CCIs and access to culture13 - which 
were  set  up  as  part  of  the  implementation  of  the  European  Agenda  for  Culture.  It  also 
draws upon several independent studies and reports recently carried out for the European 
Commission and finds inspiration in the strategies developed in various Member States 

8 
9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

In particular the USA or Canada. 
See Commission Communication on a European Agenda for Culture in a globalising world - 
COM(2007) 242. 
Council Conclusions on the contribution of the cultural and creative sectors to the achievement of 
the Lisbon objectives, 2007: 
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/educ/94291.pdf. 
Council Conclusions on culture as a catalyst for creativity and innovation, 2009: 
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-
development/doc/CONS_NATIVE_CS_2009_08749_1_EN.pdf. 
European Parliament Resolution of 10 April 2008 on cultural industries in the context of the 
Lisbon strategy: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P6-TA-2008-
0123&language=EN&ring=A6-2008-0063. 
For reports of these groupings, see: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-
development/doc2240_en.htm. Good practices identified by these groupings are mentioned in 
footnotes in various parts of the document. 

EN 

4 

   EN 

 
                                                 
with  a  view  to  unleashing  the  potential  of  their  CCIs14.  Finally,  it  echoes  some  of  the 
messages  conveyed  during  the  2009  European  Year  of  Creativity  and  Innovation,  in 
particular regarding the need to build new bridges between art, philosophy, science and 
business15.  

This  Green  Paper  aims  to  spark  a  debate  on  the  requirements  of  a  truly  stimulating 
creative  environment  for  the  EU's  CCIs.  It  includes  multiple  perspectives,  from  that  of 
the business environment to the need to open up a common European space for culture, 
from capacity building to skills development and promotion of European creators on the 
world stage. 

It does not aim to cover all the issues that may impact on these industries, but addresses 
some  key  areas  where  making  full  use  of  policies  and  instruments  at  all  levels  of 
governance  and  achieving  a  greater  coherence  and  coordination  among  them  can 
effectively unlock the potential of CCIs in Europe. 

The questions raised are typically relevant to policy makers, CCIs and other stakeholders 
at several levels: European, national, regional and local. For each of the issues covered, 
the  Commission  particularly  welcomes  contributions  on  priorities  for  action  at 
European level.  

This  Green  Paper,  in  referring  to  CCIs,  aims  at  capturing  the  various  connotations 
ascribed  to  the  terms  "cultural"  and  "creative"  throughout  the  EU,  reflecting  Europe's 
cultural diversity. 

At  European  level,  the  framework  for  cultural  statistics  set  up  in  2000  identified  eight 
domains  (artistic  and  monumental  heritage,  archives,  libraries,  books  and  press,  visual 
arts,  architecture,  performing  arts,  audio  and  audiovisual  media/multimedia)  and  six 
functions  (preservation,  creation,  production,  dissemination,  trade/sales  and  education) 
that  constitute  the  "cultural  sector"  from  a  statistical  point  of  view.  Work  is  currently 
ongoing to update this framework and define the scope of CCIs16.  

In this Green Paper, we adopt a rather broad approach based on the following working 
definitions. 

"Cultural  industries"  are  those  industries  producing  and  distributing  goods  or  services 
which at the time they are developed are considered to have a specific attribute, use or 
purpose which embodies or conveys cultural expressions, irrespective of the commercial 
value  they  may  have.  Besides  the  traditional  arts  sectors  (performing  arts,  visual  arts, 
cultural  heritage  –  including  the  public  sector),  they  include  film,  DVD  and  video, 
television and radio, video games,  new  media,  music,  books  and  press.  This  concept  is 

14 

15 

16 

In particular: A Creative Economy Green Paper for the Nordic Region (Nordic Council, 2007), 
Creative Britain – New Talents for the New Economy (UK, 2008), Creative Value – Culture and 
Economy Policy Paper (Netherlands, 2009) and Potential of Creative Industries in Estonia (2009). 
See in particular Manifesto of the Ambassadors of the 2009 European Year of Creativity and 
Innovation, released in November 2009. http://www.create2009.europa.eu/ambassadors.html. 
An ESSnet-culture has been set up in 2009 under the auspices of Eurostat. 
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc1577_en.htm. 

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
                                                 
defined  in  relation  to  cultural  expressions  in  the  context  of  the  2005  UNESCO 
Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions17. 

"Creative  industries"  are  those  industries  which  use  culture  as  an  input  and  have  a 
cultural  dimension,  although  their  outputs  are  mainly  functional.  They  include 
architecture and design, which integrate creative elements into wider processes, as well 
as subsectors such as graphic design, fashion design or advertising. 

At  a  more  peripheral  level,  many  other  industries  rely  on  content  production  for  their 
own  development  and  are  therefore  to  some  extent  interdependent  with  CCIs.  They 
include among others tourism and the new technologies sector. These industries are not 
explicitly covered by the concept of CCIs used in this Green Paper though. 

2. 

CULTURAL  DIVERSITY,  THE  DIGITAL  SHIFT  AND  GLOBALIZATION:  MAIN 
DRIVERS FOR THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF CCIS  

CCIs are faced with a rapidly changing context characterized in particular by the speed of 
the development and deployment of digital ICT on a global scale. This driver has a huge 
impact in all sectors on the whole value chain, from creation to production, distribution 
and consumption of cultural goods and services. 

Technology  and  the  availability  of  broadband  infrastructure  in  urban  and  rural  areas 
opens up new opportunities for creators to produce and distribute their works to a wider 
public at a lower cost, independently of physical and geographical constraints. Providing 
that  ICTs  are  used  to  the  full  by  cultural  content  providers  and  traditional  patterns  of 
production  and  distribution  are  reviewed,  this  offers  potentially  larger  audiences  and 
markets for creators and a more diverse cultural offer for citizens. At the same time, the 
roll  out  of  ICT  depends  on  the  availability  of  high  quality  and  diversified  cultural 
content.  Cultural  content  therefore  plays  a  leading  role  in  the  acceptance  of  these  new 
technologies  by  the  wider  public  and  for  the  development  of  the  e-skills  and  media 
literacy levels of Europe's citizens. 

However,  this  new  environment  substantially  changes  traditional  production  and 
consumption models, challenging the system through which the creative community has 
up  to  now  drawn  value  from  content.  The  impact  differs  widely  from  business  to 
business and is influenced by where a given business stands in the value chain. Economic 
value is being displaced towards the end of the chain, which in certain sectors affects the 
effective reward for creation18. Moreover, parts of the content industries, particularly the 
recorded  content  industries,  have  been  severely  hit  by  piracy  and  losses  in  sales  of 
physical supports (e.g. CD, DVD), which have damaged their development, shrunk their 
revenue  basis  and  consequently  limited  their  potential  to  generate  jobs  and  investment. 
This is why the industry also needs to develop new and innovative business models. 

17 

18 

See: http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-
URL_ID=33232&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html. 
This is, for example, clearly the case in the music sector where the revenue of digital sales does 
not yet generate significant remuneration for performers; on the contrary, in the video games 
industry, the online model seems to better remunerate developers in the absence of any other 
intermediary. 

EN 

6 

   EN 

 
                                                 
The  challenge  in  many  sectors  is  that  CCIs  have  to  cover  the  costs  of  "going  digital" 
(digitization  of  content,  skills  development  and  update  of  staff  qualifications  and 
complex issues concerning adequate digital rights management etc.) while also investing 
in and testing new business models which generate a "pay back" only after some time. 
Keeping business going under a traditional business model while managing the transition 
to  new  business  models  still  under  development  could  be  difficult  for  many  creative 
enterprises.  A  business's  ability  to  respond  to  these  structural  changes  also  greatly 
depends on a company's size and bargaining power vis-à-vis the new digital outlets. The 
global  digital  shift  reinforces  the  position  of  important  stakeholders  such  as  telecom 
companies or consumer electronics manufacturers, and coincides with the emergence of 
new strong global players such as search engines and web based social platforms which – 
while  making  significant  contributions  to  the  development  of  the  market  place  –  can 
potentially  act  as  new  gatekeepers.  At  the  same  time,  the  vast  majority  of  the  CCIs 
consist of a myriad of micro-, small and medium sized enterprises, as well as freelancers, 
co-existing with vertically or horizontally integrated companies. 

Even  in  sectors  where  major  international  companies  play  a  leading  role,  small  and 
micro-enterprises play a crucial role in creativity and innovation. They are typically the 
risk takers and early adopters and play decisive roles when it comes to scouting for new 
talents, developing new trends and designing new aesthetics.  

A  diverse  range  of  entrepreneurs  and  the  free  movement  of  their  services  is  a  pre-
requisite for a culturally diverse offer to consumers. This is possible only if fair access to 
the market is guaranteed. Creating and maintaining the level playing field which ensures 
that  there  are  no  unjustified  barriers  to  entry  will  require  combined  efforts  in  different 
policy fields, especially competition policy.  

Interoperability can play a major role in creating fair access conditions for new platforms 
and  equipment.  Standards  help  to  ensure  interoperability  between  new  and  existing 
products,  services,  processes,  systems,  applications  and  networks.  Interoperability  is 
important  not  only  for  the  producers  (in  particular  SMEs),  but  also  for  the  users. 
Interoperability  enhances  users'  choice,  especially  their  choice  of  the  products  and 
services  of  ICT-based  CCIs19.  Standards  also  help  to  create  an  innovation  friendly 
market, which encourages innovation while avoiding systems which may restrict access 
to  diverse  content.  Promoting  interoperability  between  platforms  and  equipment  is 
therefore essential. 

Beyond  standardisation  and  the  price  aspects,  diversity  of  choice  is  a  fundamental 
interest of consumers. According to Article 167 (ex-Article 151 EC) of the Treaty on the 
Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  cultural  aspects  shall  be  taken  into  account  when 
implementing European law.  

Against  this  background,  the  Commission  will  be  working  on  three  major  policy 
frameworks, which will have a significant impact on the framework conditions for CCIs 
in a digital environment and were based on earlier consultation processes.  

19 

See in particular Commission Staff Working Document "The challenges for European 
standardisation", October 2004. 

EN 

7 

   EN 

 
                                                 
Firstly, the Digital Agenda for Europe is one of the seven flagship initiatives of Europe 
2020. Within the framework to be created by the Digital Agenda, the Commission will 
work,  among  others,  to  create  a  true  single  market  for  online  content  and  services  (i.e. 
borderless and safe EU web services and digital content markets, with high levels of trust 
and  confidence,  a  balanced  regulatory  framework  governing  the  management  of 
intellectual  property  rights,  measures  to  facilitate  cross-border  online  content  services, 
the fostering of multi-territorial licences, adequate protection and remuneration for rights 
holders and active support for the digitisation of Europe's rich cultural heritage). 

Secondly,  as  part  of  the  "Innovation  Union"  flagship  initiative,  specific  actions  will  be 
undertaken  to  strengthen  the  role  of  CCIs  as  a  catalyst  for  innovation  and  structural 
change. In this respect, specific attention will be paid to promote entrepreneurship, access 
to finance, to improve framework conditions and foresight, to identify research and skills 
needs, to develop new cluster concepts and better business and innovation support20. The 
aim  will  be  to  bring  the  main  actors  at  regional,  national  and  European  levels  together 
with  the  objective  of  making  more  strategic  use  of  current  and  planned  initiatives  in 
support  of  CCIs  and  to  enhance  transnational  cooperation  between  them.  This  will 
support  more  innovative  ideas  being  turned  into  new  products  and  services  that  create 
growth and jobs. 

Thirdly, the Strategy on Intellectual Property will inter alia build on a number of past and 
on-going initiatives that are directly related to several CCIs21. The focus is clearly on the 
use  and  management  of  rights,  looking  for  a  balance  between  the  necessary  protection 
and sustainability of creation and the need to foster the development of new services and 
business  models.  In  terms  of  method,  the  Commission  has  clearly  identified  the  main 
areas  where  improvements  are  needed  and,  in  full  respect  of  the  internal  market  and 
competition rules, will involve stakeholders in a bottom-up approach . 

3. 

PUTTING IN PLACE THE RIGHT ENABLERS  

In order to be able to fully unleash their dual cultural and economic potential, taking full 
advantage  of  the  abovementioned  drivers,  CCIs  need  an  increased  capacity  for 
experimenting and innovating, access to the right mix of skills and access to funding. 

3.1. 

New  spaces  for  experimentation,  innovation  and  entrepreneurship  in  the 
cultural and creative sector 

Driven by new – in particular digital – technologies, new audiences, distribution channels 
and  consumption  models  have  emerged.  Access  to  and  participation  in  the  arts  are 
constantly  changing  shape  while  the  frontiers  between  creators  and  consumers  are 
blurred with the development of participatory technologies such as blogs, wikis etc. 

20 

21 

The actions should build upon the discussions of the expert workshop "Towards a Pan-European 
initiative in support of innovative creative industries in Europe" that was held in Amsterdam on 4-
5  February  2010.  More  information  is  available  at  http://www.europe-innova.eu/creative-
industries. 
Commission Communication "Copyright in the knowledge economy" - COM(2009) 532; 
Consultation Paper "Creative content in a European digital single market: Challenges for the 
future", A Reflection Document of DG INFSO and DG MARKT, 2009. 

EN 

8 

   EN 

 
                                                 
Subcultures  are  emerging  that  result  in  a  multi-disciplinary  mix  of  traditional  and  new 
artistic  forms  and  content.  While  traditional  institutions  hold  a  special  importance  for 
accessing  cultural  services,  there  is  a  need  to  recognise  and  support  new  ways  of 
experiencing culture, which plant the seeds of curiosity, analysis and demystification for 
a lifelong relationship with culture22. 

As in all other sectors of society, the research and development aspect of creativity and 
creation  needs  to  become  stronger.  If  Europe  wants  to  stay  at  the  cutting-edge,  further 
interactions  between  different  artistic  and  creative  disciplines,  (sub)sectors,  economic 
fields and points in the production chain are needed. A more intensive, systematic, and 
wide-ranging collaboration between the arts, academic and scientific institutions should 
be promoted, as well as private-public initiatives to support artist-led experimentation23. 

In this respect, it will be important to take a holistic approach to ensuring a favourable 
environment for the innovation, growth and further development of this sector. Although 
a  number  of  both  public  and  private  initiatives  exist  already  in  Europe  at  regional  or 
national level to support innovation and entrepreneurship in the CCIs24, there seems to be 
a need to broaden the discussion by bringing together the various elements at all levels, 
including  at  European  level,  where  the  players  can  cooperate  on  concrete  actions  in  a 
number of fields of strategic interest. As an example, the setting up of meeting places and 
"laboratories" for user-centred and open innovation and experimentation, where various 
disciplines  work  together  should  be  promoted;  intermediaries  or  brokers  between 
different  sectors  and  disciplines  should  be  encouraged.  Best  practice  in  terms  of 
accountability and transparency should also be promoted. This will help us secure world-
class excellence.  

In this context, it is also important to create more appropriate and favourable conditions 
to integrate new and in particular digital technologies in the CCIs, thus producing a more 
diverse and innovative professional content for EU citizens. 

As a rule, CCIs build upon a rich and diverse core of cultural heritage and skilled artists 
and  other  creative  practitioners  and  rely  on  the  effective  interconnection  of  various 
related layers of entrepreneurial and innovative services to bring creativity to the market. 
Moreover,  the  production  processes  of  the  CCIs  are  subject  to  constant  adaptation  and 
innovation,  making  it  essential  to  exchange  information,  build  on  intangible  assets  and 
attract talent to refresh the process. These characteristics derive from the very nature of 
cultural products. Varying consumer tastes entail a high level of uncertainty in terms of 
consumer  acceptance.  Because  of  these  constraints,  the  best  organisational  structure  is 
often  a  "cultural  &  creative  industries  cluster",  i.e.  a  concentrated  set  of  reactive  and 
adaptable  industries25.  In  most  cases,  these  functional  clusters  are  based  on  intense 
collaboration  among  different  interlinked  innovation  actors  and  institutions.  In  such 

22 
23 

24 

25 

See in particular "Policy guidelines of the civil society platform on access to culture", 2009. 
See in particular some good practices identified by the national experts working group and the 
civil society platform on CCIs. 
In  this  respect,  it  is  worth  mentioning  that  pilot  projects  on  new  approaches  on  how  to  better 
support innovative creative industries companies are currently being implemented under European 
Knowledge  Intensive  Service  Innovation  Platform  of  the  Europe  INNOVA  initiative  funded  by 
the EU Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme. 
See "The economy of culture", op.cit. 

EN 

9 

   EN 

 
                                                 
settings,  competitors  frequently  engage  in  inter-firm  cooperation,  which  is  often 
animated by organisational networks such as cluster organisations26.  

Against this background27, there appears to be a need to improve the physical and social 
environment  in  which  creative  workers  and  related  institutions,  such  as  art  and  design 
schools  or  museums,  can  effectively  operate  in  clusters.  A  deeper  understanding  is 
needed of how cultural and creative businesses can better benefit from being located in 
the same place by fostering networking, providing better support for stimulating creative 
start-ups and bringing the user dimension into existing clusters. 

QUESTION 

-  How  to  create  more  spaces  and  better  support  for  experimentation,  innovation  and 
entrepreneurship in the CCIs? More particularly, how to increase access to ICT services 
in/for cultural and creative activities and improve the use of their cultural content? How 
could ICTs become a driver of new business models for some CCIs? 

3.2. 

Better matching the skills needs of CCIs 

At the crossroads of creativity and entrepreneurship, it remains difficult for companies in 
the CCIs, in particular SMEs, to find staff with the right mix of skills. Ensuring a better 
match between the supply of skills and the demands of the labour market is crucial in the 
medium and long run to boosting the sector's competitive potential. Partnerships between 
art and design schools or universities and businesses can contribute to this aim. Incubator 
units, often established outside art schools but with their active cooperation, have proved 
successful in closing the gap28. 

Moreover,  under  the  impetus  of  constant  technological  developments,  the  "technical" 
sector-specific  needs  of  these  industries  are  changing  very  quickly,  calling  for  lifelong 
learning.  Since  CCIs  do  and  will  make  increasingly  innovative  use  of  ICT,  there  are 
certain  e-skills'  requirements  to  foster  innovation  and  competitiveness.  On  top  of  these 
skills,  CCIs  also  need  people  who  have  business  competences  –  e.g.  management, 
commercial skills, etc. –, and who understand and can mobilise financing opportunities 
(banks and financial institutions, sponsorship and donation, etc) and who understand new 
ICT, in particular in our digital environment. Unless specific actions are implemented in 
this  respect,  there  is  the  risk  that  skills  shortages,  mismatches  and  gaps  will  prevent 
Europe from using the full potential of CCIs. 

Given  the  high  growth  potential  of  the  CCIs  and  the  constantly  changing  and  complex 
environment they are working in, it would be particularly useful to better understand and 
map  the  new  skills  that  they  currently  need  or  will  need  in  the  near  future.  A  specific 

26 

27 

28 

The national experts working group on CCIs has identified good clustering practices in many 
Member States, such as Ireland, the UK, Spain, Estonia, Finland or Denmark, etc. 
See the Amsterdam Declaration, adopted by the participants of the workshop "Towards a Pan-
European initiative in support of creative industries in Europe", February 2010: 
http://www.europe-innova.eu/web/guest/home/-/journal_content/56/10136/178407. 
See good practices identified by the national experts working group on CCIs. 

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
                                                 
CCIs  sectoral  initiative  should  be  launched  in  the  "new  skills  for  new  jobs"  initiative, 
pooling analysis and experience at EU level with the help of relevant stakeholders29. 

In order to bridge the gap between professional training and professional practice, "peer-
coaching"  (i.e.  the  up-grading  of  skills  and  processes  through  the  exchange  between 
peers facing the same challenges, as a way to learn from others' mistakes or successes, 
fine-tune one's projects thanks to experienced tutors, explore new technologies or expand 
one's contact base) could prove a very useful instrument to speed up the response of CCIs 
to changes. It would provide access to high-level professionals who are not necessarily 
available in other contexts and help to build Europe-wide networks.  

QUESTIONS 

-  How  to  foster  art  and  design  schools/business  partnerships  as  a  way  to  promote 
incubation, start-ups and entrepreneurship, as well as e-skills development? 

-  How  could  peer-coaching  in  the  CCIs  be  encouraged  at  the  level  of  the  European 
Union?  

3.3. 

Access to funding  

Access to finance is a core barrier to growth for many businesses within the sector30.  

As  mentioned,  many  cultural  and  creative  entrepreneurs  are  small  to  medium  sized 
enterprises.  Among  them,  enterprises  consisting  of  one  to  two  people  represent  the 
overwhelming majority of the companies of the sector and encompass this new type of 
"entrepreneurial individuals" or "entrepreneurial cultural workers", who no longer fit into 
previously typical patterns of full time professions31. 

CCIs face specific challenges in achieving investment readiness for various reasons; lack 
of  information  and  understanding  about  relevant  sources  of  finance,  difficulty  in 
developing and presenting a business plan in a convincing way, or reliance on a failing 
business model32.  

Furthermore,  these  businesses  are  –  for  the  greater  part  –  prototype  or  project-based, 
heavily dependent on their "star products" or services and largely depend on individual 
talent and risk taking. 

CCIs  access  to  financial  support  is  limited  as  many  businesses  suffer  from  chronic 
undercapitalization  and  face  serious  problems  in  obtaining  adequate  valuation  of  their 
immaterial, e.g. copyright assets (such as artists signed to record labels, writers signed to 

29 

30 

31 

32 

Communication "New skills for new jobs: Anticipating and matching labour market and skills 
needs", European Commission - COM(2008) 868.  
See in particular, the mini-study carried out for the European Commission on the "Access to 
finance activities of the European Creative Industry Alliance", Jenny Tooth, 2010, available at 
www.europe-innova.eu/creative-industries. 
See preliminary documents produced in the framework of the study on the entrepreneurial 
dimension of cultural and creative industries, carried out for the European Commission by the 
Utrecht School of the Arts, 2010, at http://cci.hku.nl/. 
Jenny Tooth, op.cit. 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
                                                 
publishing  houses  or  catalogues  of  musical  or  cinematographic  works)  when  raising 
finance.  Contrary  to  businesses  in  technological  fields,  the  immaterial  assets  of  CCIs 
have  no  recognised  value  in  balance  sheets  and  their  investments  in  developing  new 
talents  and  creative  ideas  are  not  in  line  with  the  standard  concept  of  "research  and 
development". 

Investors and banks need an improved awareness of the economic value and potential of 
CCIs. Guarantee systems and other financial engineering mechanisms should be in place 
to encourage funding in CCIs. 

The world of creation and the world of finance – which are often "worlds apart" – need 
help to find a common language, through which CCIs can have fairer access to funding.  

Against this background, , innovative financial instruments, such as venture capital and 
guarantees and other risk sharing instruments that are delivered through market players 
can  play  an  important  role  in  facilitating  access  to  finance  by  SMEs.  Such  instruments 
are  being  implemented  in  the  context  of  market-oriented  EU  expenditure  programmes 
(such  as  the  Competitiveness  and  Innovation  Programme).  They  have  proven  to  be 
effective  in  helping  SMEs  to  access  finance,  but  have  been  targeting  a  wide  range  of 
SMEs with no specific focus on companies from the CCI. 

More  specifically  targeting  CCIs,  interesting  new  financial  models  have  emerged  at 
national or regional level. Some of these ease access to loans by pooling cross-sectoral 
expertise to evaluate companies and their projects33. Others bring together investors and 
companies  in  need  of  venture  capital  for  growth34,  including  through  so-called 
crowdfunding35.  The  Commission  also  explores  the  possibility  to  set  up  a  Production 
Guarantee  Fund  for  the  audiovisual  sector  in  the  context  of  the  implementation  of  the 
MEDIA programme. 36 

QUESTION 

-  How  to  stimulate  private  investment  and  improve  CCIs  access  to  finance?  Is  there 
added value for financial instruments at the EU level to support and complement efforts 
made at national and regional levels? If yes, how? 

- How to improve the investment readiness of CCI companies? Which specific measures 
could be taken and at which level (regional, national, European)? 

33 

34 

35 

36 

See interesting examples identified by the national experts working group and the civil society 
platform on CCIs. 
See in particular Jenny Tooth, op. cit., as well as documents produced in the frame of the study on 
the entrepreneurial dimension of CCIs (op. cit.) highlighting the need for venture capital for 
innovative cultural and creative SMEs within the single market. See also good practices identified 
by national experts working group on CCIs. 
Crowdfunding  sites  help  gathering  small-scale  investors,  for  example  for  independent  film 
financing (e.g. indiegogo.com). 
The fund will share the financial risk related to the loans granted by banks to European 
independent audiovisual producers, by guaranteeing to cover a certain percentage of the loss in 
case of failure by the producer to reimburse the loan, thus encouraging local banks to grant credits 
to film producers. 

EN 

12 

   EN 

 
                                                 
4. 

LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AS A LAUNCHPAD FOR GLOBAL SUCCESS  

CCIs develop at the local and regional levels, where networking and clustering function. 
If creativity is locally rooted, it is however global in its reach. Promoting the mobility of 
artists  and  cultural  practitioners  is  a  way  to help  our  CCIs  make  the  leap  from  local  to 
global, and ensure a European presence worldwide. 

4.1. 

Local and regional dimension  

CCIs  often  contribute  to  boosting  local  economies  in  decline,  contributing  to  the 
emergence of new economic activities, creating new and sustainable jobs and enhancing 
the attractiveness of European regions and cities.  

Indeed,  regional  and  local  development  strategies  have  successfully  integrated  CCIs  in 
many  areas:  promotion  of  cultural  heritage  for  business  use;  development  of  cultural 
infrastructure and services to support sustainable tourism; clustering of local businesses 
and  partnerships  between  CCIs  and  industry,  research,  education  and  other  sectors; 
setting  up  of  innovation  labs;  development  of  cross-border  integrated  strategies  to 
manage natural and cultural resources and revitalise local economies; sustainable urban 
development.  

EU  cohesion  policy  has  recognised  culture's  multiple  contribution  to  its  strategic 
objectives (convergence; competitiveness and employment; and territorial cooperation)37. 
It  is  however  hard  to  define  the  extent  to  which  CCIs  are  supported  through  the  funds 
allocated  to  culture  –  or  indeed  under  other  relevant  headings  such  as  research  and 
innovation,  promotion  of  innovative  SMEs,  clusters  and  networks,  information  society 
(including  digitisation  of  and  e-access  to  culture),  urban  regeneration  and  human 
capital.38. Rural Development Policy funded by the European Agriculture Fund for Rural 
Development  (EAFRD)  also  supports  culture  notably  through  preservation  of  rural 
heritage, including renewal of villages, protection of natural and cultural heritage as well 
as  leisure  activities.  Local  development  strategies  developed  and  implemented  by 
LEADER local partnerships in rural areas can also contribute, as culture brings economic 
diversification  and  quality  of  life  in  rural  areas.  And  it  appears  that  this  potential  is 
insufficiently tapped.  

The  distinctive  role  which  CCIs  can  play  in  regional  and  local  development  should  be 
duly taken into account when designing policies and support instruments at all levels39.  

CCIs  are  knowledge-driven  industries  that  tend  to  gravitate  towards  specialised  labour 
markets.  Academic  research  suggests  that  large  scale  industrialization  of  creativity  and 
cultural innovation occurs in large urban areas. Nonetheless, there is no straightforward 
connection between CCIs and labour market size or population. Regional distribution of 

37 

38 

39 

For the programming period 2007-2013, planned EU expenditure for culture amounts to around 
EUR 6 billion representing 1.7% of the total budget. 
EU Cohesion Policy – the Thematic Pages: http: 
//ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/themes/index_en.htm. 
See good practices identified by the national experts working group on CCIs. 

EN 

13 

   EN 

 
                                                 
industrial and innovation systems, including CCIs, is much more diverse40. In rural areas, 
new  business  models  can  help  bring  innovation  and  sustainability  to  traditional  forms 
(i.e. local crafts) and lead to economic viability41. 

Creativity and innovation have a strong and distinctive regional dimension42. Policies and 
support  instruments  need  to  be  determined  locally,  building  on  local  specificities  and 
assets  and  tapping  into  local  resources  ("place-based  development  approach").  At  the 
same  time,  effective  coordination  between  different  policy  and  administration  levels  is 
essential  for  success.  Impact  assessment  and  evaluation  tools  should  be  built  into 
development strategies to support the design of evidence-based policies.  

Successful strategies are built on a medium- to long-term (i.e. 10-20 years) development 
model combining infrastructure and human capital investments. Investment should target 
areas  crucial  for  CCIs,  such  as  new  business  models,  creativity  and  innovation, 
digitisation,  skills  and  improvement  of  human  capital,  and  creative  partnerships  with 
other  sectors.  A  strategic  approach  in  the  context  of  an  integrated  development  model 
means that support to CCIs is not considered a "luxury" or an isolated policy option, but 
a joint contribution to the economic development and social cohesion of a territory. To be 
successful,  integrated  development  strategies  should  be  defined  at  relevant  territorial 
levels,  in  partnership  between  the  authorities  in  charge  of  the  different  public  policies 
(such  as  economic  development,  employment,  education  and  culture)  and  the 
representatives from the civil society, namely business, workers and citizens associations. 

Exchange  of  best  practice  is  crucial  and  all  possible  networks  across  Europe  should  be 
utilised  to  facilitate  knowledge  and  capacity  transfer  between  areas  lagging  behind  and 
growth centres. 

QUESTION 

-  How  to  strengthen  the  integration  of  CCIs  into  strategic  regional/local  development? 
Which tools and which partnerships are needed for an integrated approach? 

4.2.  Mobility and the circulation of cultural and creative works 

Promoting  the  mobility  of  artists  and  cultural  practitioners  –  who  are  essential  for  the 
flourishing of CCIs – contributes significantly to their professional skills and/or artistic 
development, developing their own research and exploration ambitions, opening up new 
market  opportunities  and  enhancing  their  career  possibilities  in  particular  through  their 
participation in residencies, festivals, live touring performances, international exhibitions 
or literary events. Mobility can also more directly impact positively on the performance 
of  CCIs  by  opening  up  new  market  opportunities  through  schemes  which  improve 

40 

41 

42 

Creative and Culture Industries, Priority Sector Report (draft version), European Cluster 
Observatory, 2010.  
Study carried out for the European Commission on the contribution of culture to local and 
regional economic development as part of the EU cohesion policy. 
Sixth Progress report on economic and social cohesion - COM(2009) 295. 

EN 

14 

   EN 

 
                                                 
industry  export  strategies,  promote  international  job  placement  schemes  or  reinforce 
capacity building43.  

On the other hand, the circulation of works benefits European audiences, offering them 
new perspectives, challenging the individual and collective mind to understand and live 
in  complexity  (a  set  of  skills  –  including  intercultural  communication  –  which  is  of 
crucial importance in today's world), and offering them access to a more diverse cultural 
landscape.  At  another  level,  circulation  beyond  national  borders  within  the  European 
Union  helps  European  citizens  to  better  know  and  understand  each  other's  cultures,  to 
appreciate the richness of cultural diversity and to see for themselves what they have in 
common. 

Finally, the mobility of artists, cultural practitioners and works are also essential for the 
circulation of ideas across linguistic or national borders, and giving to all a wider access 
to cultural diversity. 

For all these reasons, they are a key component of the European Agenda for Culture, as 
well as of the EU Culture Programme (2007-2013). 

However, obstacles to mobility are numerous. Some of these obstacles are linked to visa 
regulations,  social  and  fiscal  regime  and  other  administrative  barriers  or  to  the  lack  of 
access  to  accurate  information44  on  the  different  legal,  regulatory,  procedural  and 
financial  aspects  underlying  mobility  in  the  cultural  sector.  Work  on  these  obstacles  is 
already ongoing45 and will not be addressed in this document.  

Beyond these broader aspects, there is also some scope to further strengthen the mobility 
of works, artists and cultural practitioners, acting on the chain of actors, both private and 
public,  to  deliver  cultural  diversity  across  borders.  These  actors  are  many  and  they 
greatly  differ  from  one  sector  to  the  other.  Within  this  chain,  impetus  for  cross-border 
circulation  and  online  access  may  be  relevant  at  different  points  of  intermediation 
between  creators/producers  of  cultural  expressions  and  citizens/consumers.  On  a 
different  level,  actions  addressing  specific  challenges,  i.e.  helping  emerging  talents, 
lesser-known repertoires or collections46 to break through national and linguistic border, 
could be useful. 

It would therefore be helpful to better understand what form of partnerships, cooperation 
or support could contribute to ease, accelerate and expand mobility of works, artists and 
cultural professionals beyond national borders at European level. 

43 

44 

45 

46 

See in particular the study carried out by Ericarts for the European Commission on "Mobility 
matters: Programmes and schemes to support the mobility of artists and cultural professionals", 
2008. 
See feasibility study carried out by McCoshan et al for the European Commission on "Information 
systems to support the mobility of artists and other professionals in the culture field", 2009. 
A national expert group on artists' mobility set up as part of the implementation of the European 
Agenda for Culture is working on a number of these issues while restrictions to market access and 
mobility of artists and cultural practitioners should have been addressed by Member States in the 
context of the implementation of Directive 2006/123/EC on the internal market for services. 
A national expert working group is working on the mobility of museum collections in the 
framework of the European Agenda for Culture. 

EN 

15 

   EN 

 
                                                 
This Green Paper seeks therefore more specifically to understand how this mobility can 
be increased and improved. 

QUESTION 

-  What  new  instruments  should  be  mobilised  to  promote  cultural  diversity  through  the 
mobility  of  cultural  and  creative  works,  artists  and  cultural  practitioners  within  the 
European Union and beyond? To which extent could virtual mobility and online access 
contribute to these objectives? 

4.3. 

Cultural exchanges and international trade  

The EU's perspective on international cultural exchanges and trade is framed by the 2005 
UNESCO  Convention  on  the  protection  and  promotion  of  the  diversity  of  cultural 
expressions.  Under  this  Convention,  the  EU  is  committed  to  fostering  more  balanced 
cultural exchanges and to strengthening international cooperation and solidarity in a spirit 
of  partnership  with  a  view,  in  particular,  to  enhancing  the  capacities  of  developing 
countries  in  order  to  protect  and  promote  the  diversity  of  cultural  expressions.  These 
objectives  are  in  keeping  with  some  of  the  guiding  principles  of  the  Convention,  in 
particular the principles of equitable access47 and of openness and balance48. 

In  this  context,  the  European  Union  has  preserved  the  capacity,  for  itself  and  for  the 
Member States, to define and implement cultural policies for the purpose of preserving 
cultural  diversity49.  At  the  same  time,  the  Union  has  strengthened  its  commitment  to 
supporting  the  role  of  culture  in  development  and  promotes  different  forms  of 
preferential treatment for developing countries. The EU is also committed to promoting 
intercultural dialogue worldwide. In doing so, it must also contribute to the diffusion of 
its cultural diversity - including the goods and services produced by its CCIs - across the 
globe. 

This  specific  approach  to  cultural  exchanges  is  a  reflection  of  the  shared  values  at  the 
heart  of  the  European  project.  These  are  the  fundamental  pillars  on  which  a  distinctive 
and  dynamic  "image  of  Europe"  can  be  shaped,  an  image  of  an  attractive  and  creative 
Europe,  building  on  its  rich  heritage  and  on  its  openness  to  cultures  from  across  the 
world. Europe's long tradition and vast assets in cinema, music, art, architecture, design 
or fashion clearly have a positive contribution to make to the EU's relations with the rest 
of the world.  

Nurturing world-class CCIs and exporting their works, products and services obviously 
entails  developing  links  with  third  countries.  SMEs  in  particular  require  support  to 
establish  contacts  and  to  have  their  activities  promoted  abroad.  Industry–to–industry 

47 
48 
49 

See Article 2 of the Convention, Principle 7. 
See Article 2 of the Convention, Principle 8. 
As many other partners in the World Trade Organisation, the EU and its Member States, when 
joining the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), have preserved their capacity to 
define and implement policies for the purpose of preserving cultural diversity by notifying 
exemptions from the application of the Most Favoured Nation rule in accordance with Article II of 
the GATS and by consistently refraining from making specific commitments on market access 
and national treatment in cultural services, in particular in the audiovisual sector. 

EN 

16 

   EN 

 
                                                 
dialogue,  scouting  missions  and  market  intelligence,  and  collective  representation  in 
international fairs are among the specific tools developed to support exports. Cooperation 
schemes50  offer  both  an  opportunity  for  mutual  learning  and  a  network  of  contacts 
abroad. Facilitating artistic exchanges with third countries is also important to stimulate 
cultural diversity51.  

Europe  has  numerous  agreements  with  third  countries  or  regional  associations  of 
countries. Technical assistance and cooperation schemes could include CCIs as priority 
areas  for  economic  exchanges.  Policy  dialogues  with  third  countries  or  regional 
groupings could also in certain cases support industry-to-industry dialogues and specific 
EU tools could be developed to facilitate exchanges and exports52. 

QUESTION 

-  Which  tools  should  be  foreseen  or  reinforced  at  EU  level  to  promote  cooperation, 
exchanges and trade between the EU CCIs and third countries?  

5. 

TOWARDS A CREATIVE ECONOMY: THE SPILLOVERS OF THE CCIS 

Reports  published  in  several  European  countries  show  that  CCIs  play  a  greater  role  in 
national  and  regional  innovation  systems  than  has  previously  been  recognised  by 
policymakers53. 

First,  these  industries  provide  content  to  fuel  digital  devices  and  networks  and  so 
contribute to the acceptance and further development of ICTs, for instance to broadband 
rollout. As intensive users of technology, their demands also often spur adaptations and 
new  developments  of  technology,  providing  innovation  impulses  to  technology 
producers.  

Second,  through  their  specific  role  at  the  core  of  the  digital  shift  and  the  new  trend 
towards  the  "experience  economy"  as  well  as  through  their  ability  to  shape  or  amplify 
social and cultural trends, and – therefore – consumer demand, CCIs play an important 
role in contributing to an innovation-friendly climate in Europe.  

Third,  it  appears  that  firms  that  make  proportionately  greater  use  of  services  from  the 
CCIs  perform  significantly  better  on  innovation.  Although  the  specific  mechanisms  by 
which this occurs are not yet well documented, it seems that creative innovation services 
provided  by  CCIs  are  inputs  to  innovative  activities  by  other  enterprises  and 
organisations  in  the  broader  economy,  thereby  helping  to  address  behavioural  failures, 

50 

51 
52 
53 

Such as the ones supported in the MEDIA International preparatory action (2008-2010) and 
MEDIA Mundus (2011-2013). 
As highlighted by the platform on the potential of cultural and creative industries. 
See good practices identified by the national experts working group on CCIs. 
See in particular Bakhshi, H., McVittie, E. and Simmie, J., Creating Innovation. Do the creative 
industries support innovation in the wider economy? 2008; Pott, J. and Morrison, K., Nudging 
Innovation, 2008, consideration of the NESTA Innovation Vouchers Pilot, 2008; The role of 
creative industries in industrial innovation, Müller, K., Rammer, C. and Trüby, J., 2008. 

EN 

17 

   EN 

 
                                                 
such as risk aversion, status quo bias and myopia. Design is a good example of a creative 
process potentially leading to user-centred innovation54. 

Furthermore,  reports  also  show  that  creative  workers  are  more  integrated  in  the  wider 
economy than was previously thought: there are more creative specialists that have been 
trained  in  arts  schools  working  outside  the  CCIs  than  within,  acting  as  "conduits  for 
knowledge, innovation and new ideas" initiated in the CCIs. 

On a more general note, first-class cultural amenities and high-tech services, good living 
and  recreational  conditions,  the  vibrancy  of  cultural  communities  and  the  strength  of 
local  CCIs  are  increasingly  seen  by  cities  and  regions  as  soft  location  factors  that  can 
help them boost their economic competitiveness by establishing a positive environment 
for innovation and attracting highly-skilled people as well as companies.  

At the same time, the cultural sector and CCIs can make a fundamental contribution to 
responding to major challenges such as the fight against global warming and transition to 
a  green  economy  and  a  new  sustainable  model  of  development.  Art  and  culture  have  a 
unique  capacity  to  create  green  jobs,  to  raise  awareness,  challenge  social  habits  and 
promote behavioural shifts in our societies, including our general attitude to nature. They 
can  also  open  new  avenues  to  tackle  the  international  dimension  of  such  issues.To 
respond  to  these  challenges,  various  levels  of  governance  must  design  the  right 
environments  for  creativity  strategies  to  be  developed.  At  the  same  time,  reflections 
should be pursued with respect to evaluating a creative environment to complement more 
traditional innovation indicators. The key question here is how to accelerate the positive 
spill-over effects that culture and CCIs can produce on the wider economy and society.  

One way of doing that is to maximise the links between culture and education so as to 
promote creativity in a life-long perspective. The main assumption here is that creativity 
is not exclusively an innate gift. Everyone is creative in some  way or another, and can 
learn  to  use  his/her  creative  potential.  In  our  complex  and  rapidly-changing  world,  we 
should therefore strive to foster creative, entrepreneurial and intercultural skills that will 
help us better respond to new economic and social challenges55. 

Quality cultural and art education has an important role to play in this regard, as it has the 
potential to reinforce imagination, originality, concentration, interpersonal skills, taste for 
exploration,  critical  and  nonverbal  thinking,  etc.  among  learners56.  Against  this 
background,  synergies  between  culture  and  education  should  be  further  explored.  The 
principle  in  this  area  should  be  "joint  responsibility"  from  the  education  and  cultural 
sectors, and systematic and sustainable partnerships between both sides should therefore 
be sought for57. 

54 

55 

56 

57 

Commission Staff Working Paper "Design as a driver of user-centred innovation" - SEC(2009) 
501. 
The new strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training ("ET 2020") 
adopted by the Council in May 2009 clearly takes on this challenge in highlighting the need to 
enhance creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and 
training. 
See good practices identified by the national experts working group on synergies between culture 
and education.  
See good practices identified by the national experts working group on synergies between culture 
and education. 

EN 

18 

   EN 

 
                                                 
Media literacy education is also a very important way to promote citizens' creativity and 
participation in the cultural life of society. Today, the media are a very important means 
of  distribution  of  cultural  content  and  a  vector  for  European  cultural  identities,  and  the 
ability  of  European  citizens  to  make  informed  and  diversified  choices  in  their  role  as 
consumers of media content should be encouraged. 

On  a  macro  economic  level,  the  links  between  CCIs  and  other  industries  should  be 
strengthened  for  the  benefit  of  the  economy  at  large.  In  this  respect,  it  would  be 
interesting to better understand how to foster the use of creativity in other industries, the 
type  of  creativity  which  enterprises  are  looking  for  as  well  as  the  right  mechanisms  to 
facilitate such interactions.  

For effective links to be made between the CCIs and fields such as education, industry, 
research  or  administration,  real  "creative  partnerships"  should  be  built  and  effective 
mechanisms for transferring creative knowledge such as design into other sectors should 
be  implemented.  Innovation  voucher  schemes  such  as  the  "Creative  Credit"  that  helps 
business  to  develop  their  ideas  by  teaming  up  with  CCIs  seem  very  promising  in  this 
respect58.  

In this context, innovation support mechanisms to benefit CCIs not only allow CCIs to 
innovate better and more, but they also enable them to provide more innovative solutions 
to other sectors or industries, and therefore help Europe’s overall economy to unleash its 
full innovation potential. Furthermore, intermediary institutions have an essential role to 
play in acting as an interface between worlds which are only starting to know each other, 
helping to build trust and understanding of objectives and expectations, and developing 
or fine-tuning working methods59. 

QUESTIONS 

- How to accelerate the spill-over effects of CCIs on other industries and society at large? 
How  can  effective  mechanisms  for  such  knowledge  diffusion  be  developed  and 
implemented? 

- How can "creative partnerships" be promoted between CCIs and education institutions / 
businesses / administrations? 

-  How  to  support  the  better  use  of  existing  intermediaries  and  the  development  of  a 
variety of intermediaries acting as an interface between artistic and creative communities 
and CCIs on the one hand, and education institutions / businesses and administrations, on 
the other hand? 

58 
59 

http://www.creative-credits.org.uk/ by NESTA, UK 
See in particular study carried out by Tillt (Sweden), Disonancias (Spain) and WZB - Social 
Science Research Center Berlin (Germany) as part of the work of the Policy Grouping Tillt 
Europe, funded under the Culture Programme Culture: 
http://creativeclash.squarespace.com/storage/ComparativeAnalysis%20TILLT%20EUROPE.pdf. 

EN 

19 

   EN 

 
                                                 
 
Call for comments 

The  Commission  invites  all  interested  parties  to  comment  on  the  questions  and/or 
substance set out in  this  Green  Paper. Answers and comments, which may cover all  or 
only a limited number of the above issues, should reach the following address by 30 July 
2010: 

European Commission 

DG Education and Culture 

Green Paper on cultural and creative industries 

MADO 17/76 

B-1049 Brussels 

Or by email to: 

EAC-Creative-Europe@ec.europa.eu 

If stakeholders wish to submit confidential responses, they should indicate clearly which 
part of their submission is confidential and should not be published on the Commission's 
website. All other submissions, not clearly marked as confidential, may be published by 
the Commission.  

invited 

to  register 

the  Commission  register  for  Interest 
in 
Organisations  are 
Representatives (http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regrin). This register was set up in the 
framework  of  the  European  Transparency  Initiative  with  a  view  to  provide  the 
Commission and the public at large with information about the objectives, funding and 
structures of interest representatives. 

EN 

20 

   EN