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Action Needed: Help secure funding for culture in the next EU’s budget 2028–2034
Dear Culture Action Europe Regional Hubs,
Culture Action Europe asks you to send letters to your national ministers of finance by 15 April 2026 to help secure funding for culture in the next EU’s budget 2028–2034.
Context
The European Commission its proposal for the next EU long-term budget (the Multiannual Financial Framework, 2028–2034) on 16 July 2025. This budget will shape EU funding for culture for years to come. The proposal is now being negotiated between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
Negotiations are already tough. Culture Action Europe is submitting amendments to key decision-makers to strengthen AgoraEU and secure culture funding across other EU programmes, including Horizon Europe, the European Competitiveness Fund, the European Social Fund, and Global Europe.
The Council of the EU is often the most challenging institution to influence, as it reflects the positions of 27 national governments. While Culture Action Europe is in contact with the Permanent Representations of Member States to the EU, national positions are shaped in the national capitals at ministerial level.
Finance ministers, in particular, have a central role because they ‘hold the pen’ on the numbers and ultimately decide the overall size of the budget and the financial envelopes for each programme. Other ministries are shaping the content and structure of the future programmes.
The Council has already formed its first positions on several files, not always conducive to culture. For example, from the legal base of the European Competitiveness Fund, the Council . It risks excluding creative industries from support related to business development, innovation, and digitalisation
However, negotiations are still ongoing and the Council’s position is not final. That’s why we need your support to reach out to your national governments to inform their position on the MFF files. Many Culture Action Europe members to their finance ministers before. Should you write again? Yes, because the decisions are still being made. With this new letter, we aim to draw attention to specific programmes and concrete opportunities for culture within the next MFF.
The template letter below may look a bit lengthy, but that’s fine. At this stage of the negotiations, decision-makers are asking for concrete proposals and input, which is why sometimes we include hyperlinks to specific amendment suggestions. Please feel free to add further arguments, examples, or additional references as needed.
What to do
Please write a letter to your minister of finance to support increasing culture funding in the next MFF. A template letter is attached.
Instructions
1. Please send your letters by 15 April 2025.
2. The letter should be signed by members of your regional hub, but it can (and should!) also be open to other cultural organisations in your country. We encourage you to mobilise as many signatories as possible, including those outside of Culture Action Europe. Please use the preparation of the Satellites as an opportunity to broaden the perspective and engage new supporters. Sending a letter will provide a concrete and tangible advocacy output from each Satellite.
If you're not a Culture Action Europe member but came across this template and would like to get involved, please write to , and . Let us know your organisation and country, and we’ll connect you with the coordinators of the relevant regional hub.
3. Address the Minister of Finance. Check who currently holds this portfolio in your country. You may also cc the Minister of Culture, the Minister for Research/Innovation, the Minister for Economy/Competitiveness, the Minister for Regional Development, the Minister for Foreign/EU Affairs, your country’s cultural attaché at the Permanent Representation to the EU, and your national Creative Europe Desk.
4. Please translate the letter and adapt it to fit your country’s context, if needed. You know best how to reflect the national situation and political climate.
5. Before sending the letter, check the official requirements for letters in your country. Some ministries may require a full name, surname, contact details, date, and signature from the sender.
Please include the name and contact details of the person the ministries can reach out to for further information.
6. When you send your letters, please share them with us! We may feature them in our communications as an example to inspire other hubs. And of course, share your letter in your social media.
of a successful past campaign, when Culture Action Europe hubs sent letters to national finance ministers, for your inspiration.
Thank you! We’re counting on your swift action.
Template here:
Letter to Finance Ministers March 2026.pdf
Letter to Finance Ministers March 2026.pdf
170.8 KB
ASK, PAY, TRUST Campaign
The is 2025’s version of CAE’s longstanding mission to mainstream culture across EU policies. In light of the recent , the current drafting of the , and futures across Europe threatened by war and climate crises, Ask, Pay, Trust is outlining concrete calls to increase funding, ensure artistic freedom, and harness creativity as a force for Europe.
Imagine a Europe where…
You are an artist who is not paid for the work that you do. Or where our cultural leaders are being silenced for speaking truth to power? How about a Europe where the cultural sector has fewer opportunities to be critical or even experimental?
We know this isn’t hypothetical. It’s happening now.
Our campaign demands putting culture at the heart of the changemaking in a time full of division and crises. To help culture help Europe, we need to Ask, Pay, and Trust the Artist.
‣ Ask for our expertise: Artists and cultural professionals should be part of every policy discussion bringing their creativity and innovative approaches to the table.
‣ Pay for our labour: Ensure decent working conditions and fair remuneration for the use of our intellectual property. Invest in culture to help build a more resilient Europe.
‣ Trust our process: Embrace the unpredictability of the arts—we deliver results, even if we don’t always tick every box.
Do you agree? Add your name to the campaign and join us!
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