200+ cultural organisations oppose creative europe cuts
IETM – International network for contemporary performing arts has joined more than 200 cultural organisations across Europe in calling on EU Member States to reverse the proposed cuts to Creative Europe’s 2027 budget. An open letter was initiated and coordinated by Culture Action Europe.
The Council, the EU institution representing national governments, suggests reducing the funding Creative Europe can commit to projects in 2027 by €31.6 million. The proposed cuts would affect every strand: €7.8 million from Culture, €23.2 million from MEDIA and €0.6 million from the Cross-sectoral strand.
This is the fourth budget year in the current seven-year cycle in which the Council has proposed cuts to Creative Europe. ‘Year after year, we must defend funding for cooperation that the EU says it wants to strengthen,’ the letter states.
The proposed cuts are at odds with the EU’s own commitments. In June 2026, the Presidents of the Council, Parliament and Commission signed the Joint Declaration ‘Europe for Culture – Culture for Europe’, committing to ensuring the independence of cultural institutions, artistic freedom, and sustainability of the cultural and creative sectors. The 2027 budget is an immediate opportunity to put those commitments into practice.
IETM knows the value of Creative Europe because we see what happens when artists work beyond borders. A story finds an audience in another country; people who might never have met begin creating together. These encounters matter all the more when propaganda fuels division and hybrid threats target cultural expression in Europe. Cultural organisations and artists have spent years building truly unique cross-border cultural cooperation. Our governments should have the confidence to strengthen it.
We urge Member States to restore the Commission’s proposed €417.35 million budget for Creative Europe. We also support the proposal of the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee to add €15 million above the Commission’s draft budget.
2027 is the final year of the current Creative Europe programme, so the funding decisions taken now matter beyond a single annual budget. Negotiations on Creative Europe’s proposed successor, AgoraEU, will shape EU support from 2028 onwards. Protecting Creative Europe now goes hand in hand with securing a strong AgoraEU programme and a visible, well-funded place for culture within it.
The letter has been shared with the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU and Members of the European Parliament. The proposed cuts are still open to negotiation — the EU institutions have until 16 November to reach an agreement.
