The Creative Europe framework programme of the European Commission aims to support Europe's cultural and creative sectors.
The goal of the programme is the protection, development and promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity and strengthening the competitiveness of cultural and creative sectors in Europe.
It is planned to allocate up to 1.46 billion Euros from the EU budget to Creative Europe.
The programme consists of two sub-programmes: “Culture”, which is planned to spend 31% of the program budget (455 million Euros) on and “Media” – 56% of the budget (824 million Euros).
A separate item of budget expenditure under the programme is a cross-sectoral direction – 13% of the budget (184 million Euros). Its task is to ensure the implementation of the financial instrument of lending – Guarantee Facility (121 million Euros) and support the network of national bureaus of the program “Creative Europe” (funding in the amount of 63 million Euros).
The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of the EU is responsible for the implementation of the programme and its activities on behalf of the European Commission.
The National bureaux of the Creative Europe programme, which are located in the participating countries, provide advice and information on the creative Europe programme. The bureaux are independent of national authorities and European structures in their activities.
Ukraine signed an agreement on participation in the Creative Europe programe on November 19, 2015.
Since then, Ukraine has been a member of the “Culture” sub-programme and the “Media” sub-programme, primarily in the organization and conduct of training events, fairs, festivals and events to expand the target audience.
Ukraine can participate in the cCeative Europe programme provided that it is a member of the EU (including an associate) and pays an annual entry fee to the EU budget. A fee is calculated for each country individually according to a special formula (the formula takes into account GDP, population).
Annex I to the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the European Commission on the participation of Ukraine in the Creative Europe programme provides for preferential conditions for participation of Ukraine, in particular, the payment of a symbolic amount of the entrance fee (1 Euro)for the first two years of participation in the programme.
This year, our country has to pay its first membership fee in the amount of 0.5 million Euros. It will ensure participation in the four areas of the “Culture” sub-programme and four areas of the “Media” sub-programme that are currently available to us. In the future, the decision on the size of the membership fee will be reviewed every year and will be made on the basis of agreements between the Parties to the Agreement.
Should there be no preferential conditions for participation and payment of the annual entrance fee, Ukraine can count on the maximum amount of financial support from the budget of the Programme to ensure the activities of the National Bureau of the Creative Europe programme.
The amount of financial support can not exceed 50% of the total budget for this activity, and two-thirds of the financial contribution of the country.