x

The latest industry news to your inbox.


I'd like to hear about marketing opportunities

    

I accept IQ Magazine's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

news

Italy’s live music association appeals to EU for aid

Assomusica is urging the European Commission to reserve part of its Next Generation Recovery Plan for the benefit of cultural and creative sectors

By IQ on 23 Sep 2020

Vincenzo Spera, president of Assomusica, has lambasted the measures

President of Assomusica, Vincenzo Spera


image © Assomusica

Italy’s live music association, Assocmusica, is urging the European Commission to allocate financial aid to the creative industries via national budgets and EU funds.

Assocmusica, along with European Live Music Association (ELMC), directly addressed the European parliament directly last week to ask for support with Europe’s cultural recovery.

Members of the European parliament have also expressed strong concern the EU’s Next Generation Recovery Plan does not specify a budget for the direct benefit of the cultural and creative sectors.

The associations are now asking the European Commission and the EU countries to allocate at least 2% of the mechanism for recovery and resilience stated in the Recovery Plan in support of the cultural and creative.

“In such a critical moment, both for the future of the EU and for our sector, it is necessary to intervene to safeguard its survival”

“The digital revolution, and the chapter of investments in environmental sustainability, hypothesised in the Recovery Fund are issues we would like to discuss with the government and we hope to be heard in the appropriate forums,” says president of Assomusica, Vincenzo Spera.

“In these difficult times, many have turned to culture, music and art to overcome moments of discouragement and loneliness. In such a critical moment, both for the future of the EU and for our sector, it is necessary to intervene to safeguard its survival.”

“For these reasons, I would like to make a further, urgent appeal to our institutional representatives to work on creating an adequate financial ‘framework’ to support a key sector for the growth and cultural diversity of our continent.”

The associations have laid out a number of proposals for EU ministers to consider, including an increase in the budget for the Creative Europe Programme in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, which is renewed next year, to €2.8 billion and the introduction of the 4% reduced VAT on tickets for live performances.

An emergency fund for live entertainment workers, powered by European resources, and precise financial plans to ensure operational continuity in the industries and cultural and creative sectors and to ensure predictability for their operators, has also been called for.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.