Creative Europe (CREA)

Culture and Creativity

Creative Europe is the European Commission's programme for providing support to the culture and audiovisual sectors. It invests in actions that reinforce cultural diversity and respond to the needs and challenges of the cultural and creative sectors.

The main objectives of the Programme are to:

1. safeguard, develop and promote European cultural and linguistic diversity and heritage; 
    
2. increase the competitiveness and economic potential of the cultural and creative sectors, in particular the audiovisual sector.

The Programme includes three strands:

• the CULTURE Strand which helps cultural and creative organisations to operate transnationally and promotes the cross-border circulation of works of culture and the mobility of cultural players. It provides financial support to activities with a European dimension aiming at strengthening the transnational creation and circulation of European works, developing transnational mobility, audience development (accessible and inclusive culture), innovation and capacity building (notably digitisation, new business models, education and training). The supported activities aim to enable cultural and creative players to work internationally;
   
• the MEDIA Strand which supports the EU film and audiovisual industries financially in the development, distribution and promotion of their work. It helps to launch and distribute projects with a European dimension and international potential to travel beyond national and European borders. Its funding actions provide support to audiovisual works including films, TV series, documentaries, video games and immersive content, and to cinemas, festivals, VOD services and industry markets. It also contributes to boosting European talent via training programmes, as well as to audience development and film education;
   
• the CROSS-SECTORAL Strand which addresses common challenges and opportunities of the cultural and creative sectors, including audio-visual, such as transnational policy cooperation and news media. 

In terms of financing, this programme provides grants that cover a percentage of eligible costs. Co-financing rates vary depending on the call. 

The Creative Europe programme is open to cultural and creative organisations from EU Member States, as well as non-EU countries. Subject to certain conditions, countries of the European Economic Area, candidate/potential candidate countries and European Neighbourhood Policy countries can also participate in the programme.