Covid-19: MEPs insist on targeted support for culture

18 Sep 2020 01:15 PM

Europe should support the cultural sector during the Covid-19 crisis, say MEPs in a resolution adopted on 17 September.

Targeted support for culture

The Covid-19 pandemic led to the shutdown of cinemas, concert halls, festivals, museums, theatres and other mass cultural activities across the EU. Although some of the venues have reopened, continued health and safety measures prevent them from operating at full capacity.

Parliament is calling for direct and swift support for the cultural sector. In a resolution approved on 17 September, following a plenary debate on 10 July, MEPs argue that financial aid should come from both national budgets and EU funds.

MEPs are concerned that no specific amount has been earmarked in the Next Generation EU recovery plan to directly benefit the cultural and creative sectors and industries. That is why they call on the European Commission and EU countries to earmark at least 2% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility for their support.

Parliament also calls on the Commission to come up with new ways of mitigating the impact of the crisis on the sector.

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