Debate: The situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU
Date: MONDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2021
Speaker: Monica Semedo
Country: Germany
Language: EN

Culture is a major economic factor for the EU, representing 4.4% of EU GDP and employing 7.6 million people. But culture is not only about economic terms. It has a substantial social impact contributing to democratic, sustainable, free and inclusive societies and reflecting and strengthening our European diversity, values, history, freedoms and way of life. Culture touches the lives of EU citizens. I am therefore proud to stand here today as the rapporteur to present the report on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU, with which we support artists and cultural workers throughout the European Union. Due to my personal experience as a former performer, I can confirm that many artists already struggled before COVID-19 happened. For many cultural and creative professionals it was necessary to have a second income in order to guarantee a certain degree of social security and stability. And to the insecurity of income it adds difficulties to combine family life and career due to unstable working hours and rapidly changing work environments. Imagine having all these worries and yet you still need to find enough time to be creative! This is why this report is not only about recovery itself. It is to give greater security to those affected. With this report we, as the European Parliament, call upon the Commission and the Member States to act. We ask for access to unemployment allowance, health care and pensions. And we urge Member States and the Commission to take specific measures to tackle unstable income, unpaid work and job insecurity, and to safeguard a minimum standard of income for artists and cultural professionals.  We also need to avoid bureaucratic burdens such as work permits or permits for holding festivals, and we have to avoid double taxation for cultural workers acting across borders. Especially artists from smaller Member States face problems due to the fact that their domestic market is small and that can hinder their professional growth. We therefore call upon the Member States to establish at least one mobility and information point to offer free and tailored support. Furthermore, we call upon the Commission to define the status of an artist in the EU, to explore possibilities of mutual recognition, and even a European framework for governing the status of artists, to ensure that artists can benefit from their rights derived from that status throughout the entire European Union. But a safety net is not all. Artists often have the talent but they lack the skills to transform their ideas into financial success. Therefore, they should also have access to training in entrepreneurial skills which will help them to transform their creativity into a reliable source of income.  Finally, the sector also faces other problems. While many women work in the sector, very few women are in decision-making positions and discrimination against women persists. LGBTIQ+ and artists from minority groups are more likely to be the targets of attacks or subject to restrictions. In this report we made sure that artists in the EU are better protected against political repression and all forms of discrimination, because the freedom of artistic expression is a core value of the EU and must continue to be guaranteed.  With this report, we have taken a big leap forward and I am proud to continue the work that we have started last year in September with our resolution on the cultural recovery of Europe. I want to thank my fellow rapporteurs for their good cooperation and the strong compromises we have reached, so thank you for that.  I also want to thank my colleagues from the Cultural Creators Friendship Group with which I have tabled several amendments across party lines thus demonstrating that when it comes to the protection of artists, authors and performers, this House stands together as one. And therefore, I hope for your support in the vote.  So to all the artists, authors, performers and cultural professionals: you have the support of the European Parliament so please continue to entertain, amaze and inspire us.