EU Commission follows up on EU Parliament report for an “EU framework for the social and professional situation of artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors”
21 February 2024
MEP Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D, Spain) published late February on social media an EU Commission letter welcoming the EU Parliament resolution of 21 November 2023 on an EU framework for the social and professional situation of artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors (2023/2051(INL), “support[ing] its political objectives and confirm[ing] that it intends to kick off work in this area” and stating that the Commission “shares the Parliament’s concerns over the working conditions of artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors”.
While the EU Commission does not announce any specific new legislative initiative, highlights of the letter include:
– An acknowledgement of the importance of “Creative Europe funded networks of professional organisations, representing thousands of organisations and professionals across the different culture and creative sectors, [which] help train and inform artists and professionals about their rights and can also provide feedbacks to policymakers in return.”
FERA welcomes this, but recalls that audiovisual networks of professional organisations are currently uneligible for support under this Creative Europe Culture programme, leaving the European audiovisual creative community without such support at a time of profound and fast-paced change in the audiovisual sector.
– A commitment to ensure an effective transposition and application of the 2019 Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market’s provisions related to Fair remuneration of authors and performers for the exploitation of their work, and of the Directive on Adequate Minimum ages in the European Union, flagging the launch in January 2024 of a study “focused on contractual practices affecting the transfer of copyright and related rights and the creators and producers ability to exploit their rights”
– A commitment to organise a High-level Round Table in 2024 and yearly thematic workshops with Member States based upon the Open Method of Coordination as of 2024.
– The possibility of reinforcing the social conditionality in the next cycle of Union programmes including Creative Europe and Horizon Europe.
– An assessment of implementation of existing rules and idenficiation of regulatory gaps, mobilising relevant sectoral EU social partners “including the possibility to start negotiations to conclude an autonomous social partner framework agreement”.
– A focus on health and safety and undeclared work.
– An exchange of good practices on social protection for artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors in 2025.
– A mapping of the existing definitions of cultural and creative sector professionals.
– The inclusion of working conditions of artists and cultural and creative sector professionals in the EU strategic framework for culture.
To go further:
– EU Commission letter to EU Parliament available here.
– November 2023 EU Parliament resolution on an EU framework for the social and professional situation of artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors