Culture and audiovisual : celebrating Europe’s cultural diversity.
Date: 2014-12-11
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communication
Subjects: EU programme, audiovisual programme, cinema, cultural policy, cultural promotion, dissemination of EU information, public awareness campaign

T H E   E U R O P E A N  
U N I O N  
E X P L A I N E D

Celebrating 
Europe’s 
cultural 
diversity

Culture and 
audiovisual

Eu r op e’s   cul t ural   an d  c reat ive  s e c t or s 
ar e  ke y  c on tr ib uto rs   to   th e  ec o n o my, 
em p l oym en t  an d  so c ial  c o hes io n

CONTENTS 

Why we need a European  

culture and audiovisual policy  .  . .

 3

How the EU goes about it .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  4

What the EU does  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .

 7

Outlook: Setting our sights  

on the future  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  11

Find out more  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  12

The EU explained: Culture and audiovisual

European Commission
Directorate-General for Communication
Citizens information
1049 Brussels
BELGIUM

Manuscript updated in November 2014

Cover and page 2 picture: © iStockphoto — scanrail

12 pp. — 21 × 29.7 cm
ISBN 978-92-79-41537-1
doi:10.2775/11967

Luxembourg: Publications Office  
of the European Union, 2014

© European Union, 2014
Reproduction is authorised. For any use or reproduction 
of individual photos, permission must be sought directly 
from the copyright holders.

THE EUROPEAN UNION 
EXPLAINED

This publication is a part of a series that explains  
what the EU does in different policy areas,  
why the EU is involved and what the results are. 

You can find the publications online:
http://europa.eu/pol/index_en.htm

http://europa.eu/!bY34KD

How the EU works
Europe in 12 lessons 
Europe 2020: Europe’s growth strategy
The founding fathers of the EU

Agriculture
Banking and finance 
Borders and security 
Budget
Climate action
Competition
Consumers

Culture and audiovisual

Customs
Digital agenda 
Economic and monetary union and the euro
Education, training, youth and sport 
Employment and social affairs
Energy
Enlargement
Enterprise
Environment
Fight against fraud
Food safety
Foreign affairs and security policy
Humanitarian aid and civil protection 
Internal market
International cooperation and development
Justice,  fundamental rights and equality 
Maritime affairs and fisheries 
Migration and asylum
Public health
Regional policy
Research and innovation
Taxation
Trade
Transport

3

Why we need a European culture  
and audiovisual policy

The benefit of an EU-wide approach

The countries of the European Union all have their own 
way of dealing with issues relating to culture and 
audiovisual policy. The work done by the EU 
complements this and adds a new dimension to it.

Information gathered from the EU as a whole can be 
used to support national policy decisions or provide 
examples of best practices that others can share. 
Dedicated cooperation mechanisms among EU Member 
States have been established for this purpose.

The EU is investing €1.46 billion over the 2014–20 time 
period in the cultural and audiovisual sectors through 
the Creative Europe programme, which replaces the 
Culture, MEDIA and MEDIA Mundus programmes. This 
represents a 9 % increase on previous budget levels.

The Creative Europe programme seeks to enhance our 
shared cultural heritage by supporting cultural cross-
border projects such as cooperation actions, platforms 
and networks as well as literary translation projects.
Creative Europe also complements national funding to 
strengthen European cinema, increase the circulation of 
new films and make the audiovisual sector more 
competitive. A single market for audiovisual media and 
the establishment of a safer Internet programme to 
protect children online across the EU are just two ways 
in which an EU-wide approach can go further than 
tackling such issues at national level.

Many regions and cities see how culture and the 
creative sectors contribute to their economic 
competitiveness and create jobs. This is why EU 
regional policy supports strategic investments in culture 
and the cultural and creative sectors through dedicated 
funds.

Fostering a wealth of culture and 
creativity

Culture and creativity are at the core of the European 
project. Culture shapes our identities, aspirations and 
how we relate to others and the world. It also shapes 
the places and landscapes where we live and the 
lifestyles we lead.

The rapidly changing pace of technology presents both 
opportunities and challenges for Europe’s cultural and 
creative sectors. The European Union (EU) is committed 
to helping all those involved in these sectors — from 
local communities celebrating their cultural heritage to 
the producers of an award-winning film — to embrace 
the chances that come their way and overcome the 
obstacles they face.

The challenges are significant. Cultural diversity is an 
asset for the EU, but linguistic and cultural differences 
lead to market fragmentation. The global economic 
crisis makes it increasingly difficult to access finance in 
the creative sector. New digital technologies are having 
a great impact on traditional distribution methods 
— vast content libraries have come off the shelves and 
onto hard drives, but it is difficult to build sustainable 
business models.

A creative boost to more than just the 
economy

Europe’s cultural and creative sectors contribute to 
economic growth, employment, innovation and social 
cohesion.

The sectors represent around 4.5 % of European gross 
domestic product and account for some 3.8 % of the EU 
workforce (8.5 million people). In addition, Europe’s 
cultural and creative sectors have proven to be more 
resilient than other sectors in times of economic 
downturn and contribute to innovation, skills 
development and urban regeneration, while positively 
impacting other sectors such as tourism and 
information and communication technology.

CULTURE AND AUDIOVISUAL4

How the EU goes about it

More achieved by working together

In order to deliver its agenda for culture, Europe relies 
on solid partnerships between all actors, including the 
Member States, regions, cultural organisations and 
other cultural operators.

For instance, grassroots projects to enhance cultural 
tourism or urban regeneration in culturally significant 
areas or support for the distribution of independent 
films — all these and many other goals are best 
achieved when organisations at different levels 
combine their efforts and resources.

Cooperating on culture: a policy 
framework

The European Agenda for Culture (established in 2007) 
promotes:

•  cultural diversity and dialogue between cultures;

•  culture as a catalyst for creativity and innovation;

•  culture as part of the EU’s international relations.

National authorities, EU institutions and the cultural 
sector across Europe have been working closely 
together since 2007 to pursue these objectives. In this 
cooperation framework, national authorities can appoint 
representatives for EU-wide expert groups where 
national and regional best practices and new ways of 
working together on priority topics are discussed within 
the so-called Open Method of Coordination, a form of 
governance based on voluntary cooperation between 
Member States.

So as to make the most of the expertise that already 
exists on the ground when it comes to formulating 
policies, the Commission regularly exchanges views and 
information with organisations from the cultural 
sectors. This structured dialogue covers a whole range 
of key issues such as: cultural and creative industries, 
intercultural dialogue, cultural heritage and access to 
culture.

Furthermore, there are independent groups across 
Europe dedicated to fostering culture. For instance, in 
the field of cultural heritage, many organisations are 
gathered under the auspices of Europa Nostra. This 
pan-European federation for cultural heritage gathers 
together around 250 non-governmental and non-profit 
groups, with a combined membership of over 5 million, 
and forms a network of professionals and volunteers all 
of whom are committed to safeguarding cultural 
heritage for present and future generations.

The European Commission provides the opportunity for 
stakeholders and policymakers to meet and debate the 
most crucial issues for the sector through the biannual 
European Culture Forums.

The EU fosters cultural cooperation with individual 
countries outside the EU as well as with regional and 
international organisations. Since the adoption of the 
European Agenda for Culture, culture has been 
increasingly perceived as a strategic factor of political, 
social and economic importance contributing to external 
policy objectives.

As a party to the 2005 Unesco Convention on the 
Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of 
Cultural Expressions, the EU is committed to making 
cultural diversity an essential element of its external 
action and to developing a new and more active cultural 
role for Europe in international relations.

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The best ideas come from all four corners of the EU.

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
5

Cooperating for the benefit of the 
audiovisual sector

The national level: EU countries support their 
audiovisual industries in a variety of ways with budgets 
allocated from national tax revenues, contributions 
from television, and, in some cases, grants from 
lotteries. All have national film institutes or similar 
bodies that support their film industries.

When it comes to film production, there are rules EU 
countries have to follow to ensure fair competition for 
all films across the EU. For example, national aid should 
in principle not exceed 50 % of the production costs.

Independent groups: There are many organisations set 
up by citizens across the EU to make the audiovisual 
sector more competitive and to foster creativity, such as 
European Film Promotion and the European Film 
Academy.

European Film Promotion is dedicated to promoting and 
marketing European cinema worldwide through bringing 
together professional organisations from 34 European 
countries. Under the umbrella of European Film 
Promotion, all of these organisations work together on 
the promotion of European cinema and talent around 
the world.

The European Film Academy has 3 000 members, all 
professionals from the field. They have set up training 
workshops, conferences and other events with the goal 
of promoting Europe’s film culture. Every year, the 

various activities of the European Film Academy 
culminate in the ceremony of the European Film 
Awards. Twenty-one categories such as Best European 
Film, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor provide 
the industry with the chance to celebrate the best the 
EU has to offer.

Getting Europe’s citizens on board — 
prizes, awards and labels

Involving citizens around the EU in culture and 
audiovisual expression is vital if we are to achieve  
the goals of inclusion, mutual respect and economic 
growth brought by the creative industries. 

EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CONTEMPORARY 
ARCHITECTURE: Architecture, which can lift our spirits 
and make our lives easier through clever design, 
touches our daily lives on environmental, social and 
cultural levels. The European Union Prize for 
Contemporary Architecture/Mies van der Rohe Award 
celebrates the creative and innovative European 
architects of today and tomorrow. The prize is the most 
prestigious award in European architecture.

EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE: 
Europe has a rich heritage, from architectural sites to 
industrial buildings, from art works to historical 
gardens. The European Union Prize for Culture Heritage/
Europa Nostra Award is given annually to outstanding 
projects that help preserve, research and raise 
awareness of our heritage.

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Carnuntum Archaeological 
Park — European Heritage 
Label 2014.

CULTURE AND AUDIOVISUAL 
 
6

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Prizes help give young 
professionals the boost they 
need — here the European 
Border Breakers Awards 
2014.

EU ‘PRIX MEDIA’: Since 2012, the EU ‘Prix MEDIA’ has 
been awarded to the film with the most box office 
potential submitted for development support from the 
MEDIA Programme. The scriptwriter and the producers 
of the selected project are honoured during the Cannes 
Film Festival.

EUROPEAN BORDER BREAKERS AWARDS: Europe’s 
rich cultural diversity is manifest in its emerging 
musicians. The European Border Breakers Awards 
(EBBAs) celebrate European artists who are successful 
in crossing borders with their first European release. 
The award highlights Europe’s great musical talent, 
encouraging artists to share their music across the EU.

EUROPEAN UNION PRIZE FOR LITERATURE: The 
European Union Prize for Literature aims at putting the 
quality and diversity of Europe’s contemporary 
literature in the spotlight by promoting greater 
circulation of literature within Europe and by stimulating 
reader interest in non-national literary works. Publishing 
houses can also apply for the translation of the winning 
books through the Creative Europe programme.

EUROPEAN HERITAGE LABEL: The European Heritage 
Label is awarded to sites that have been symbolic to 
the European integration process. These sites celebrate 
and symbolise European integration, ideals, values and 
history. They are carefully selected for their symbolic 
value, the role they have played in European history and 
the activities they offer in order to bring the European 
Union and its citizens closer together.

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
 
7

What the EU does

Funding for culture: the Creative Europe 
programme

•  funds for the international co-production of films;

The programme is built on the success of the Culture, 
MEDIA and MEDIA Mundus programmes.

It aims at strengthening Europe’s cultural and creative 
sectors.

Not only does it help safeguard and promote European 
cultural and linguistic diversity, and showcase Europe’s 
cultural richness, it also contributes to Europe’s goals 
for smart, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, 
helps the cultural and creative sectors to adapt to the 
digital age and globalisation and opens up new 
international opportunities, markets and audiences.

Millions of people and organisations are reached 
through the projects financed by the programme 
including filmmakers, distributors, sales agents and 
other audiovisual professionals, cinema lovers, artists 
and cultural professionals, publishers and book lovers.

The programme provides support to:

•  audience development to foster film literacy and to 
raise interest in Europe’s films through a wide range 
of events.

From 2016, Creative Europe will also include a 
€121 million financial guarantee instrument to help the 
culture and creative sectors get better access to 
finance.

Other EU-funded programmes also provide support to 
the cultural and creative sectors:

•  Erasmus+ supports skills development through 

education and training, building of knowledge and 
partnership through knowledge alliances and sector 
skills alliances;

•  COSME, the EU programme for the Competitiveness 

of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized 
Enterprises, supports entrepreneurship, access to 
finance and markets for small and medium 
enterprises;

•  cross-border cooperation projects between cultural 

•  Horizon 2020 supports research and innovation also 

and creative organisations within the EU and beyond;

in the field of culture and cultural heritage.

•  networks helping the cultural and creative sectors to 

operate transnationally and to strengthen their 
competitiveness;

•  translation and promotion of European literary works;

•  platforms of cultural operators promoting emerging 

artists and stimulating a truly European programming 
of cultural and artistic works;

Since 2007, the European Regional Development Fund 
has allocated €3.3 billion for the protection and 
preservation of cultural heritage, €2.2 billion for the 
development of cultural infrastructure and €555 million 
to support cultural services. A further €150 million has 
been invested through EU framework programmes for 
research and technological development since 1998.

•  capacity building and professional training for 

The audiovisual media services directive

audiovisual professionals;

•  development of fiction, animations, creative 

documentaries and video games for European 
cinema, television markets and other platforms;

•  training and competence building of audiovisual 

professionals;

•  distribution and sales of audiovisual works in and 

outside Europe;

•  film festivals that promote European films;

If every EU country were to have its own different rules 
regarding TV, it would be difficult to watch TV 
programmes transmitted from other European 
countries. For this reason, the EU adopted the ‘television 
without frontiers’ directive in 1989, setting a common 
set of minimum rules for the entire EU.

Internet-enabled TV and new ways of circulating 
audiovisual content present regulators with new 
challenges, such as protecting young people from 
harmful content and banning incitement to hatred while 
ensuring freedom of speech.

CULTURE AND AUDIOVISUAL8

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The Europa Cinemas Network 
boosts the profile  
of European cinema.

In 2007, the ‘television without frontiers’ directive was 
amended to become the audiovisual media services 
directive. In 2010, the directive was codified. It covers 
all audiovisual media services — traditional television 
(linear service) and video-on-demand (non-linear 
services) — and establishes a number of general 
requirements for them. These requirements cover the 
identification of media service providers, the prohibition 
of incitement to hatred, the accessibility for people with 
disabilities, measures for the promotion of European 
works, certain qualitative requirements for commercial 
communications, sponsoring and product placement.

However, the audiovisual media services directive takes 
into account the degree of user control over the service 
and therefore treats linear and on-demand services 
differently. On-demand services are thus subject to 
somewhat lighter regulation that matches the relative 
impact they have on society as a whole.

On the contrary, television broadcasts are subject to 
more stringent requirements, in particular in the field of 
advertising, protection of minors and promotion and 
distribution of European works.

As far as the promotion of European works is 
concerned, with respect to broadcasting, the rules 
require that the majority proportion of the transmission 
time shall be reserved for European works of different 
genres. Also, broadcasters have to reserve at least 
10 % of their transmission time or programming budget 

for European works produced by independent producers. 
In the case of video on demand services, Member 
States have a wider discretion on how to promote 
European works: they can for example introduce 
measures regarding the share of European works in 
catalogues, measures to ensure the prominence of such 
works or impose a financial contribution on video on 
demand service providers to the production and rights 
acquisition of such works.

In any case, the audiovisual media services directive 
extends the country of origin principle to all audiovisual 
media services. It means that each service must comply 
with the rules of the country in which its provider is 
located. The enforcement of the rules is the 
responsibility of that Member State.

In May 2012 the Commission presented its first 
application report on the directive. More recently, as the 
convergence between traditional broadcasting and the 
online world is increasingly visible, the Commission 
launched a public consultation to explore what this 
convergence could mean for Europe’s economic growth 
and innovation, cultural diversity and consumers. The 
consultation on the basis of the Green Paper 
‘Preparing for a fully converged audiovisual world: 
growth, creation and values’ was closed in autumn 
2013 and the contributions, as well as an executive 
document and feedback paper, were published. An 
assessment of the regulatory fitness of the directive is 
planned for 2015 through a REFIT exercise.

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
 
 
9

Street activities in Umeå — one of the European Capitals  
of Culture in 2014.

EUR-TEXT — Back to the future!

EUR-TEXT brings together artists from the Czech 
Republic, France, Malta and Poland from different 
fields (music, fashion, visual art) with the aim of 
connecting contemporary expression with European 
cultural heritage.

Whether it is a fashion show inspired by classical 
paintings, the interpretation of Schubert’s 
Symphony No 9 performed on period instruments or 
the exhibition of artworks inspired by fashion 
design, EUR-TEXT creates a dialogue between the 
past and the present to really go ‘back to the 
future.’

European Capitals of Culture 

Since its inception nearly 30 years ago, cities  
all over Europe have been competing for the 
coveted title of European Capital of Culture.  
Being a European Capital of Culture can give  
cities new creative impetus, build new local 
audiences for culture and help local cultural 
operators develop networking activities on the 
European and global scenes. It can also be a 
unique opportunity for cities to regenerate 
themselves, change their image or raise  
their profile internationally, which can in turn 
contribute to developing tourism and attracting 
new investment.

The European Capitals of Culture can equally  
make a valuable contribution to social inclusion 
and intercultural dialogue, for example, through 
imaginative community outreach programmes  
and the effective use of volunteers.

But above all European Capitals of Culture offer 
citizens from Europe and beyond the possibility  
to discover the great cultural diversity of our 
continent and to look freshly at our common roots, 
history and values through the numerous cultural 
events hosted by title-holders.

‘European Capitals of Culture are a clear  
illustration of the EU’s commitment to cultural 
diversity, but also of how culture can unite  
people within Europe. They are proof that  
culture has a major role to play at the heart of  
our policies of sustainable development, because 
they are part of the long-term development  
of European cities and their regions, as well  
as a source of stimulus for dynamism, creativity, 
but also social inclusion.’ José Manuel Barroso, 
President of the European Commission

CULTURE AND AUDIOVISUAL10

Berlinale Talent

Every year, during the International Film Festival in 
Berlin, young and up-and-coming audiovisual 
professionals from all over the world gather for 
6 days to share experiences and learn from industry 
experts. Three hundred emerging scriptwriters, 
producers, directors, composers, editors and young 
film critics are selected and invited to meet in Berlin 
to attend workshops, bridge gaps between cultures 
and between established and promising talented 
filmmakers. The MEDIA sub-programme of Creative 
Europe is one of the main financial contributors to 
Berlinale Talent.

Operation Kino

Through the Operation Kino project, Creative Europe 
reaches out to the most cinematically deprived and 
troubled areas in the Balkans and Turkey, 
encouraging local authorities to support 
multipurpose digital cinemas in cultural centres 
across the region.

The Transylvania, Sofia, Sarajevo and Istanbul Film 
festivals send around 15 feature films on a highly 
publicised tour throughout the countries.

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Operation Kino — bringing cinema to some of  
the far-flung areas of the EU.

Zentropa — an independent film 
production company

Directors such as Lars von Trier, Susanne Bier and 
other high-profile names will always have a very 
good chance of being financed, with or without 
MEDIA contributions. But to develop new talent into 
‘high-profile’ directors, support and financing is 
required.

The MEDIA programme has been a considerable 
support to Zentropa, a production company based in 
Denmark. When it was established at the start of 
the 1990s, it received substantial MEDIA support 
that basically carried it through its first years of 
operation.

Anders Kjærhauge, the Head of Administration, 
explains: ‘Since no one in Denmark at that time 
believed in the “Zentropa idea” the importance of 
this support from MEDIA was crucial to the survival 
of the company.’

The company’s significance is clear to those 
directors benefiting from the programme. Susanne 
Bier, director of the 2011 Oscar winner ‘In a Better 
World’, explains: ‘In these days of globalisation we 
feel it is important that Europe has a common voice 
in many areas, including cultural exchange, and 
with this aim in mind the whole idea behind the 
MEDIA programme should be supported.’

‘Zentropa and the MEDIA programme were “born” 
together at the beginning of the 1990s. We grew up 
together as engaged and passionate children; we 
were “teenagers” together, not always in agreement 
but always willing to listen to each other since we 
had a mutual aim — the development of quality 
European films. Now we are both in our twenties 
with a lot of fantastic films under our belt, useful 
experience to bring to others and a sincere hope of 
growing old together!’

Anders Kjærhauge,  

Head of Administration, Zentropa

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
11

Outlook: Setting our sights on the future

Looking to the future, the EU’s cultural vision must 
have the involvement of its citizens at its heart. In 
order to benefit economically from our cultural 
diversity and to gain respect and understanding 
across cultures, measures to improve access to 
culture in education, to boost cultural production 
and to support participation need to be included in 
policies at all levels. In times of economic instability 
and globalisation, there is a need to address the 
following challenges:

Embracing a digital future

Digital technology is having a huge impact on how 
culture is made, distributed and accessed. As a result, 
film distribution practices are under review and 
digitisation is sweeping through cinemas.

Millions of Europeans catch up with their favourite TV 
series on a smartphone on the way to work, watch 
online content on their living room TV, or put their own 
user-generated content online. There are more than 
40.4 million ‘connected TVs’ in Europe, and they could 
be in the majority of EU households by 2016. These 
changes are sweeping away traditional boundaries 
between consumers, media and the Internet.

European cultural and creative industries are a driver of 
the digital change by exploring new ways in which 
European citizens discover, enjoy and participate in the 
creation of digital content. The priority of the European 
Commission is to support Europe’s world-leading role in 
producing quality content keeping the competitive 
advantage of European cultural and creative sectors 
also in the digital environment.

Creative Europe aims to help the cultural and creative 
sectors to fully exploit the opportunities created by the 
digital shift.

To take account of these changes, the action plan 
‘Circulation of European films in the digital era’ has 
been granted a budget of €2 million to:

•  improve conditions for the circulation of European 

films in the EU;

•  increase the number and expand the range of global 

audiences for European films;

•  help market players and decision-makers stay ahead 

of the game by keeping them up to date with changes 
that will have an impact on distribution platforms.

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We can’t tell what the future 
holds, but we can make sure 
our creative industries are 
ready.

CULTURE AND AUDIOVISUAL 
 
 
 
 
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Access to finance

Audience development

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the 
cultural and audiovisual sectors need finance to grow 
their activities and businesses, but most of them 
experience difficulties obtaining loans from banks.

From 2016, a cultural and audiovisual sectors facility 
will progressively be implemented to provide SMEs with 
access to finance. In addition, a new Capacity Building 
Scheme will provide expert services to lenders to 
increase their understanding of the cultural sectors.

Another aim of Creative Europe, throughout all its 
actions, is to stimulate new techniques to develop and 
foster long-term audiences for European cultural works.

Audience development has a multi-dimensional concept, 
with cultural, social and economic dimensions and 
relates to:

•  building new audiences;

•  deepening the relationship with existing audiences;

•  diversifying audiences;

•  developing European cooperation on media literacy.

Find out more

If the issues raised in this publication have sparked your interest,  
you can find more information on the following sites:
 X Creative Europe, the European Commission’s framework programme for support to the culture and media 

sectors: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe

 X Questions about the European Union? Europe Direct can help: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11  

http://europedirect.europa.eu

ISBN 978-92-79-41537-1
doi:10.2775/11967

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED