Government backs Moldova’s entry into “Creative Europe”, opening EU funds
Starting January 1, 2026, creative organizations and individuals from the Republic of Moldova will be able to access a multi-million euro fund for culture and creative industries through participation in the European Union's "Creative Europe" Program. The Cabinet approved the draft law to ratify the Accession Agreement to this program on November 26.
The document was signed in Chisinau in September of this year, opening access to European funding for cultural events and international collaborations. The program supports artists' mobility and facilitates the exchange of experiences among professionals from different countries.
"Through this program, we will benefit from a substantial European fund dedicated to culture, media, and creative industries. This year, the European Union is allocating 380 million euros to this fund, and all our associations, independent artists, creative unions, and institutions will be able to apply starting January 1, 2026," emphasized Minister of Culture Cristian Jardan during a government meeting.
The official highlighted the opportunity to develop international cultural cooperation with all European Union countries and the 14 other states included in the program.
"We urge the cultural community to participate in this program, and we hope to have as many winning projects as possible for our collective benefit," declared Cristian Jardan.
The Republic of Moldova will participate as an observer in the Creative Europe Committee, responsible for monitoring the program's implementation, without the right to vote. Moldova also commits to granting European institutions access to the necessary documents and information for audits, financial control, and verification of fund usage.
The estimated participation fee and annual operational contribution for the Republic of Moldova are 10.1 million lei for 2026 and 10.2 million lei for 2027. Due to the exceptional circumstances caused by the war of aggression against Ukraine, the Additional Protocol allows for the temporary suspension of the financial contribution.
The Creative Europe Programme (2021–2027) is the European Union’s main instrument for supporting the cultural and creative sectors, with a total budget of approximately 2.4 billion euros.
The agreement will be submitted to Parliament for ratification.
