Policy update #1

On March 20th, our policy and advocacy officer Julia Kasten joined representatives from around thirty other European cultural organisations at new culture commissioner Glenn Micallef's first consultation meeting with civil society. Set to lay the groundwork for the Culture Compass strategic framework, which will define the next four years in European cultural policy, the event allowed for some critical issues to come to surface.

Commissioner Micallef described the Cultural Compass as a framework for innovation, employment, and regional development, and expressed the commitment to strengthening regional cohesion. Chair of the European Parliament's CULT committee Nela Riehl, who was also present, highlighted the importance of diversity and plurality, while expressing concern over emerging threats to cultural expression. Polish deputy minister for culture and national heritage Marta Cienkowska, attending on behalf of the Council of the European Union, stressed the need to protect fair pay and freedom of speech in the cultural sector.

Here are the main points we made sure to raise during the consultation:

• The current project-based funding constrains sector growth and feeds uncertainty. There's a clear need in the sector for sustainable, strategic, long-term investment.

• Culture is a sector in its own right, which meaningfully contributes to economy and society at large, and needs to be recognised as such.

• We need new reporting requirements for projects, focusing on qualitative insights rather than on strict performance metrics. A more flexible reporting would allow organisations to document their experiences, both successes and failures, as valuable learning outcomes.

• We supported Reset! Network in demanding a framework that promotes synergies between small-scale, grassroots and independent organisations, as well as easier access to funding, through initiatives such as cascade funding and micro-grants.