The European Commission has unveiled a new strategic framework designed to put culture at the centre of EU policymaking, launching what it calls the “Culture Compass for Europe”.
The announcement, published on Wednesday as a news communication titled A new plan for culture in Europe, sets out a series of measures intended to guide cultural policy within and beyond the Union.
The Culture Compass is presented as a replacement for the 2018 New European Agenda for Culture, which EU institutions now regard as out of date given the economic, technological and geopolitical pressures on Europe’s cultural and creative sectors.
According to a briefing by the European Parliament’s research service, the new framework is meant to provide “long-term direction” for cultural policy and to ensure that culture is systematically integrated into wider EU priorities.
Under the Commission’s proposal, the Compass is structured around four broad directions for an EU that: upholds and strengthens European values and cultural rights; empowers artists and cultural professionals; uses culture and cultural heritage to reinforce competitiveness, resilience and cohesion; and champions international cultural relations and partnerships.
In practical terms, the Commission intends to use the new framework to promote Europe’s cultural assets while addressing structural weaknesses in the cultural and creative industries. These include restrictions on artistic expression, precarious working conditions for artists, unequal opportunities across and within Member States, and the rapid impact of artificial intelligence on creation, distribution and remuneration.
A central monitoring tool will be a new “state of culture in the EU” report. This regular assessment is expected to track developments across the sector, with particular emphasis on artistic freedom and the wider enabling environment for cultural and creative work. The aim is to provide comparable data for policymakers and to identify where EU and national action is falling short.
Several flagship initiatives are attached to the Culture Compass. The Commission plans to introduce an EU Artists’ Charter, setting out principles for fair working conditions for artists and cultural workers. It will also establish a European Prize for Performing Arts, adding to the existing landscape of EU cultural prizes in fields such as literature, architecture and heritage.
To improve evidence and access, the Commission will set up an EU cultural data hub, bringing together statistics and research on culture and the creative economy. A Youth Cultural Ambassadors Network is planned to promote access to culture for young people and to involve them more closely in EU cultural initiatives. Both measures are intended to support participation and policy design rather than to finance projects directly.
Artificial intelligence is treated as a distinct policy area within the Compass. The Commission will develop an AI strategy for the cultural and creative sectors, addressing questions such as training of AI systems on copyrighted content, transparency, and the position of human creators in an AI-driven environment. Stakeholder groups in the audiovisual sector have already urged the Commission to protect authors’ rights in this context and to ensure fair remuneration for the digital use of their works.
Externally, the Commission intends to update the EU strategy on international cultural relations. Culture and cultural heritage are presented as tools of diplomacy and partnership, particularly in regions where the EU already runs cultural programmes or supports heritage protection. The framework aligns with calls from cultural foundations and civil society coalitions for culture to play a more visible role in the Union’s external policies.
The Culture Compass is the outcome of a consultation process that included a public call for evidence and targeted surveys of artists, cultural professionals, sector organisations and Member States. The Commission’s call for evidence described the initiative as a “strategic framework for EU cultural policy” aimed at improving coordination between funding and policy and increasing the visibility of EU action in support of culture and cultural heritage.
Civil society groups working in heritage have welcomed the publication of the framework. Europa Nostra, which leads the European Heritage Hub, has described the Culture Compass as recognising culture and cultural heritage as a “cornerstone” of Europe’s security, resilience, democracy, competitiveness and social cohesion. The organisation links the new strategy’s motto, “Europe for Culture – Culture for Europe”, with its own advocacy around the role of heritage in EU policy.
Politically, the Commission is seeking to give the initiative additional weight through a proposed joint declaration to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, alongside the Commission itself. The draft declaration “Europe for Culture – Culture for Europe” is intended to signal a shared commitment by the three institutions to implement the Culture Compass and to mobilise existing funding programmes such as Creative Europe in support of its 20 flagship actions.
