Answer given by Ms Gabriel on behalf of the European Commission
16.7.2020
Following the Council Recommendation on Access to social protection[1], the Commission supports Member States in extending protection to non-standard forms of employment and self-employment, prevalent in the cultural and creative sectors.
While the Commission does not envisage developing an emergency EU fund to support vulnerable artists, it proposed a major recovery plan and a revised Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 to bring the EU economy back on track. In this context, the Commission proposes to support the cultural and creative sectors via several instruments.
Further to the future Creative Europe, Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe programmes, the Commission proposes support from the future cohesion policy funds, REACT-EU and the new Solvency Support Instrument for all economic sectors, including the culture and creative sectors; the last two would be available already in 2020. The reinforced InvestEU will be able to support these sectors under several of its windows, once adopted.
The Commission has put forward the two Corona Response Investment Initiatives (CRII and CRII plus)[2] and the temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE)[3], which have in the meantime been adopted[4]. The Commission took measures under the Temporary Framework for state aid[5] to support the economy. The Commission encourages Member States to seize the opportunities under these instruments also for artists.
A summary list of the measures the Commission has taken to tackle the consequences of the novel coronavirus outbreak on the cultural and creative sectors can be found on its website[6]. Online cultural platforms can already be supported through the Creative Europe programme.
- [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2019.387.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ:C:2019:387:TOC
- [2] https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/about_the_european_commission/eu_budget/13032020_-_coronavirus_response_investment_initiative_final_v2_0.pdf
- [3] https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-and-fiscal-policy-coordination/eu-financial-assistance/loan-programmes/sure_en
- [4] Regulation (EU) 2020/460 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 March 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013 and (EU) No 508/2014 as regards specific measures to mobilise investments in the healthcare systems of Member States and in other sectors of their economies in response to the COVID-19 outbreak (Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative); Regulation (EU) 2020/558 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No 1301/2013 and (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards specific measures to provide exceptional flexibility for the use of the European Structural and Investments Funds in response to the COVID-19 outbreak; Council Regulation (EU) 2020/672 of 19 May 2020 on the establishment of a European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency (SURE) following the COVID-19 outbreak.
- [5] Communication from the Commission — Temporary framework for state aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak, 19 March 2020, OJ C 91I, 20.3.2020, p. 1-9 and Amendment to the Temporary Framework for state aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak, 03.04.2020, C(2020)2215 final, OJ C 112I, 4.4.2020, p. 1-9 and Amendment of 08.05.2020, C(2020)3156 final [not yet published].
- [6] https://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/coronavirus-how-eu-responds-outbreak-support-cultural-and-creative-sectors_en