Cultural policies

As outlined in ECSA's Manifesto, ECSA continuously advocated for a comprehensive strategy to ensure the sustainability of the European music sector, as outlined by the 2024 One Voice for European Music report. This should include the adoption of a clear and comprehensive policy strategy for the music sector, reflecting its economic, social and cultural importance across Europe, and supported by a strengthened Music Moves Europe dialogue. A stronger financial support through a dedicated “Music Strand” within the next Creative Europe programme must be ensured, as well as streamlined funding across other programmes of the EU such as Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, and structural and regional funds. Finally, ECSA is in favour of a European Music Observatory to independently collect data and assess the need for interventions at EU level, addressing gaps and enhancing the diversity and competitiveness of the European music sector.

In a letter published in June 2025, a wide group of cultural and audiovisual networks and organisations working at the European level, including ECSA, have called on the European Parliament, the European Commission, and Member States to preserve Creative Europe as a stand-alone programme in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), to double its budget, and to raise the overall budget for culture to 2% of the MFF.