“We want the EU to set up a Cultural and Creative Industries network so that these industries coordinate among themselves and promote a pan-European ecosystem of actors in the sector. We also call for a European Cultural Heritage Collaborative Space for better management of our cultural heritage, data and projects,” declared the EPP Group spokesperson Christian Ehler MEP, in Lisbon, as he launched a manifesto together with Manuel Heitor, the Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education.

The Lisbon Manifesto on Citizen-centred, Research-driven Creative Industries is fully in line with the EPP Group’s priorities for research-driven creative industries. In the declaration, the signatories explain why the creative industries are so vital for Europe; why they are fundamental for the green and digital transitions; why they are so important for Europe´s identity as a unique selling point and finally they acknowledge the opportunities achieved at the European level, for the creative industries in terms EU funding programmes. They also highlight the importance of cultural heritage for Europe and the particular challenge they face in the light of the digitalisation.

Although the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are an economic powerhouse in Europe (4.4% GDP contribution), they have not been recognized as such. At the end of 2019, CCIs had a much larger workforce (7.6 million people) than other leading sectors of the European economy: for example, 2.9 times more than the automotive industry and 6.3 times more than chemical industries.

In 2019, 43% of the jobs in the CCIs of Europe where held by people below 39 years, approx. 3.3 million people.

“This is why we are raising awareness about the importance of creative industries for the whole of Europe but also specifically for youth and young professionals who are employed in this sector. We call for an increase in training and education for leadership roles in the creative industries. We also want to expand the digital participatory management of museums and archives for our cultural heritage and recognize the digital possibilities for inclusive participation of people in our cultural life also in rural areas of Europe,” concluded Mr Ehler.

Press Release Dr. Christian Ehler MEP, 18/06/2021