Zovko: The cultural sector is a crucial sector for our economy and for our European identity

Brussels, 10 July 2020

 

In a debate in the July Plenary session, the Members of the European Parliament repeated their call for an increased assistance for the creative and cultural sector in the recovery of the covid-19 pandemic. They said it has been one of the most affected sectors and they regret the coverage of financial support for the sector in the proposed Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and recovery fund.

In the beginning of the pandemic, Member of the European Parliament Željana Zovko already addressed these concerns in a letter to Commissioner Gabriel and together. With her colleagues of the EPP in the Committee for Culture and Education, she also wrote a letter to the EPP ministers working on the MFF and the Recovery package asking for a sizeable budget for the cultural sector, education youth and sports. They recall that the Commission initially promised to triple the budget for Erasmus+ and significantly increase the funding of other flagship instruments and deplore that these expectations are not met with what is now on the table.

“The cultural sector is a crucial sector for our economy and for our European identity and its value cannot be underestimated. The sector that closed its doors first when the pandemic arrived and will open again the latest, needs our full European support,” Zovko stated.

Zovko also mentioned that 40% of the tourism industry is cultural tourism, including the world heritage monuments, witnesses of our shared history in Europe. „I also follow with great concern the actions in Turkey regarding the Hagia Sophia and the instrumentalisation of this world heritage monument, that shows the different layers of our past, into a cultural and religious weapon. I call on the Commission to use all means necessary to stop this scandalous behaviour,“ Zovko said.

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