Europese Commissie: grotere rol op EU-niveau voor culturele en innovatieve bedrijfstakken (en)

Good news for cultural and creative industries: their role as conduits of innovation for European cities and regions further recognized at EU level.

On 6 October, the Commission adopted its Innovation Union flagship initiative.

This initiative is key to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy for a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. It aims to improve conditions and access to finance for research and innovation in Europe, to ensure that innovative ideas can be turned into products and services that create growth and jobs.

This initiative is based on a broad concept of innovation, fully recognizing the role of creativity. It also underlines that "the creativity and diversity of our people and the strength of European creative industries offer huge potential for new growth and jobs through innovation, especially for SMEs".

To know more about the Innovation Union

As a complement to the Innovation Union, the Commission also adopted on 6 October a Communication on the "Contribution of the Regional Policy to the Smart Growth" .

The aim of this communication is to make Managing Authorities (i.e. those authorities in charge of the management of the Structural Funds at regional and local levels) more aware of the changing nature of innovation and the new opportunities to stimulate innovation at regional level, including through greater support for creative and cultural activities.

The Communication highlights that "the capacity of the EU to recover from the crisis and meet longer-term challenges rests not only on a strong industrial base but on the creativity and skills of people, governance and strong social values - solidarity, respect for the environment, openness and cultural diversity. […] Cultural and creative industries, which flourish at the local and regional level, are in a strategic position to link creativity and innovation."

To read the Communication on the Contribution of the Regional Policy to the Smart Growth