Ref. Ares(2020)5375920 - 09/10/2020
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Directorate-General for Education and Culture
Culture and creativity
Director
Brussels, 9 October 2020
EAC.D2/KP
Dear Members of the Creative Europe Programme Committee,
We would like to inform you about the decision to assure the continuity of the Creative Europe
Desks1 within the first months of 2021, while the regulation of the Creative Europe (CE)
Programme 2021-2027 is still under negotiations between the co-legislators.
With regard to the above, the European Commission is currently not in the position to launch the
process of designation of the Europe Creative Desks before end 2020/ beginning of 2021. As a
result, the Creative Europe Desks will face a financing gap in the first months of 2021.
Given the important role played by the Creative Europe Desks supporting potential beneficiaries
and ensuring equal access to the programme, we take the following commitment:
The EACEA (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency) will guarantee an
extension of the current Specific Grant Agreement for 6 months until 30 June 2021, on request of
the Creative Europe Desks (deadline 29 November 2020).
Although this measure would allow continuing with a contractual relationship with the Creative
Europe Desks until the designation process can be launched (after adoption of the legal base), it
does not imply any additional financial support. We would therefore strongly suggest that the
national authorities of the Creative Europe participating countries finance entirely their Creative
Europe Desks from the national budgets during this half-year period.
Provisions for the 27 EU Member States and EFTA countries
The first restricted call for proposal for the Creative Europe Desks will foresee a grant agreement
of 12 months (1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022) with a co-financing rate of 75% and with a 50%
increase of the EU grant for that period - as a compensation for the effort from the national
budgets.
Please note that the third country participation in the new Creative Europe programme is being
defined and the Commission cannot make any commitments at the current moment.
We hope that the planned solution is acceptable for all parties and that this measure will ensure
the continuity of our Creative Europe Desks during the first months of 2021.
Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at EAC-CREATIVE-
[email protected] by 15 October 2020.
Kind regards,
Tamas Szucs
1
Pursuant to article 6(d) of the Commission’s proposal of the Regulation establishing the Creative Europe
Programme, subject to final agreement between European Parliament and the Council, the countries
participating in the Programme, acting together with the Commission, shall establish the Creative
Europe Desks (Programme desks).
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË - Tel. +32 22991111
Office: J-70 02/025 - Tel. direct line +32 229-9.22.73 - Fax +32 229-9.81.88
[e-signed]
2
Electronically signed on 09/10/2020 12:31 (UTC+02) in accordance with article 11 of Commission Decision C(2020) 4482