CAE's insights from the #culturaldealeu policy conversation
The largest cultural policy conversation of the year took place on 4 February 2025 in Brussels, led by civil society—Culture Action Europe, the European Cultural Foundation, and Europa Nostra. The discussion revolved around the Cultural Deal for Europe, a call to prioritise culture in EU policies, develop a robust culture strategy, and allocate 2% of EU funding to culture.
The event brought together Commissioner for Culture Glenn Micallef and the European Commission officials, five Members of the European Parliament, including the CULT Committee Chair Nela Riehl, the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, cultural attachés from EU Member States, and representatives of European cultural networks and organisations—altogether 120 participants engaged on spot and 1000 online.
Through four panels and four on-stage interviews, Culture Action Europe distils its key messages and outcomes of the Policy Conversation.
- Culture’s recognition should reach beyond the cultural sector and be hardwired into the Commission’s flagship policies—from the new Competitiveness Fund and security and preparedness agenda to research, skills development, and AI regulation.
- Culture is where democracy is attacked first—so it must be where the EU's resistance begins. That means keeping the cultural ecosystem sustainable: trusting and paying artists, ensuring autonomy of cultural organisations, empowering civil society, supporting grassroots cultural projects, investing in cultural infrastructure, and embedding Artistic Freedom in the Rule of Law Report.
- European institutions must learn from Eastern Europe’s cultural resilience (Ukraine, Georgia, and Serbia). The EU should support candidate states and neighbouring countries fighting for European values by strengthening Georgia’s and Serbia’s civil society and allocating 2% of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine’s cultural recovery.
- The Culture Compass should guarantee a strong, well-funded Creative Europe programme to support European artists and cultural content. While providing a unifying strategic framework, the Compass should preserve the cultural component in other policy areas, as it strengthens the sector’s open and co-creative nature.
- Embrace the real power of culture. It is neither an asset, nor a luxury, nor a duty. Culture defies immediate utility and purpose; it is an act of freedom and, in that, the essence of Europe itself.
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