Press release: GESAC applauds EP resolution on cultural recovery
GESAC strongly commends the important resolution passed by the European Parliament today, which recognises the grave situation facing Europe’s creative and cultural ecosystem and lays out steps that need to be taken for a strong recovery.
Read our full press release below.
GESAC applauds European Parliament’s political determination to ensure
‘The Cultural Recovery of Europe’
Brussels, 17 September 2020 – GESAC strongly commends the important resolution passed by the European Parliament today, which recognises the grave situation facing Europe’s creative and cultural ecosystem and lays out steps that need to be taken for a strong recovery. The resolution comes at a time when the EU recovery budget is being finalised and sends a strong message to Member States and the Commission.
MEP Laurence Farreng, who initiated this action on behalf of the Renew Group, and all the other MEPs who coordinated and developed this ambitious and much needed resolution from six political groups are to be praised for their efforts.
This message from the European Parliament, broadly supported by its political groups, shows the value that the European public places on culture and asks the EU to take the necessary action for a strong recovery. The resolution specifically asks that at least 2% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility is earmarked for cultural and creative industries (CCIs), in recognition of the important contribution CCIs make to European GDP and social wellbeing.
Véronique Desbrosses, GESAC’s General Manager, says: “This resolution is a huge step towards the cultural recovery of Europe. It is now time for Member States and the Commission to listen to the EU institution that represents the voice of the European people, and follow the ambitious path laid out in this document. The creator community represented by GESAC is at the core of a sector that has always prioritised European diversity, culture and values, on top of being one of the most competitive industries globally and a driving force behind the EU’s economy.”
The resolution also notes the importance of recently adopted legislation – the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, the Copyright Directive and the Broadcasting Directive – that will both stimulate creation and protect individual creators; it calls on the European Commission to strengthen collective management mechanisms for the implementation of these directives and future policy. GESAC is grateful for this acknowledgment of the role of authors’ societies for creators and the broader sector.