The Commission presents report on boosting the contribution of cultural and creative sectors to growth and jobs on September 26
The European Commission will adopt a report which will highlight the contribution that the cultural and creative sectors make to growth and jobs – and how to boost this in future.
The report will highlight five main areas that Member States should focus on to better exploit the potential of these sectors:
1. Skills needs,
2. Improving access to finance,
3. Enlarging marketplaces through partnerships and new business models,
4. Expanding international reach, and
5. Reinforcing co-operation with other sectors and policies, such as industry, innovation, ICT, education, tourism, urban and regional development and territorial planning.
The Commission will announce EU initiatives to unlock the potential of these sectors, by promoting a favourable environment for these sectors to develop, to increase their competiveness and export potential, and to maximise the spill over effects in other areas.
The background:
According to the 2010 European Competitiveness Report and other sources, the cultural and creative sectors account for between 3.3% and 4.5% of GDP and employ up to 8.5 million people. Evidence collected at European, national, regional and local levels confirms the economic importance of the sectors, which have shown above average rates of growth and shown, notably in terms of employment, a relative resilience in the current economic downturn. The capacity of these sectors to trigger innovation as well as their role in global competition for influence and attractiveness are also increasingly recognised. However, the sectors face major challenges stemming from the digital shift and globalisation as well as from a high degree of fragmentation of markets along cultural and linguistic lines.
The event:
Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, will present the proposals at the midday briefing in the Commission's press room.
Available on EbS
The sources:
Information on Culture
The contacts:
Dennis Abbott +32 2 295 92 58 dennis.abbott@ec.europa.eu
Dina Avraam +32 2 295 96 67 dina.avraam@ec.europa.eu
