On July 9, a meeting of the EU’s “Creative Europe” Program Committee took place in Brussels. The Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine for European Integration, Taras Shevchenko, participated in the meeting.
The members of the Program Committee hold joint meetings twice a year to discuss and agree on decisions regarding the development and monitoring results of the implementation of the EU’s “Creative Europe” program measures for the previous period.
This time, the discussion focused on the Annual Work Program for 2025 (AWP2025) and the implementation of priority support areas. One of the ongoing priorities remains supporting Ukraine. The discussion also covered ensuring maximum flexibility for current EU-funded projects involving Ukrainian partners.
Additionally, during the EU’s “Creative Europe” Program meeting, it was announced that an additional targeted 5 million euros will be allocated to Ukraine in 2025. The special competition, which will be open only to Ukrainian organizations, will prioritize access to culture for temporarily displaced Ukrainians and post-war cultural recovery in Ukraine.
The participants of the event welcomed the recent decision of the European Commission regarding Ukraine’s full participation in the “Media” and “Cross-Sectoral Cooperation” sub-programs of the EU’s “Creative Europe” program. This decision is a result of successful steps towards aligning Ukraine’s media legislation with European standards. It is expected that Ukraine and the EU will sign an international agreement to formalize this decision.
“We are grateful to the European Commission for supporting the cultural and creative sectors in Ukraine, which are experiencing the devastating consequences of Russia’s armed aggression. Culture remains our shield in the struggle for our existence, identity, and freedom,” said Taras Shevchenko, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine for European Integration.
The special competition for Ukraine, “Support to Ukrainian Displaced Persons and the Cultural and Creative Sectors in Ukraine,” initiated by the program, has become an effective tool for promoting cultural diversity, fostering integration processes within the cultural professional environment, and creating favorable conditions for supporting resilience and prospects for a shared post-war future.
The European Union’s “Creative Europe” program is aimed at supporting cultural diversity and promoting the competitiveness of the culture and creative sectors. It was established under EU Regulation No. 2021/818 of the European Parliament. The program provides funding for projects and initiatives designed to strengthen cultural diversity and address the needs and challenges of Europe’s cultural and creative sector.
Ukraine joined the program as an associated country in 2016. In 2021, a new seven-year program was launched, which will run until 2027. Its budget amounts to 2.44 billion euros.