Ukraine joins the MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe programme

Yesterday, Ukraine joined the Media strand of the Creative Europe programme, which supports the audiovisual sector by funding selected projects related to film development and distribution, online and TV content, as well as the creation of innovative tools and business models in the audiovisual industry.

Ukrainian organisations may now apply to all relevant calls for proposals under the Media strand of the programme, as well as future ones.

Following Ukraine's request last year to participate in the MEDIA strand, and after assessing the country's media legislation, the Commission has today signed the amendment to the existing association agreement that will allow for Ukraine's full participation.

The agreement was signed by Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen for the Commission and Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna for Ukraine, during a ceremony which took place yesterday in Brussels.

This is an important step towards the integration of the Ukrainian audiovisual sector into the European ecosystem. At the same time, expanding the Creative Europe programme to Ukraine will enrich the EU audiovisual sector's cultural diversity and open new opportunities for collaboration.

Executive Vice President for Tech-Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said: “Culture allows societies and individuals to process their experiences, build and create hope for the better. Nearly three years have passed since Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine first started, time during which culture and creative media were forced to take a backseat. I strongly believe we need to step up our efforts to support Ukraine and make sure brilliant ideas can become reality, despite the life-altering adversity Ukrainian society is facing. Joining the European audiovisual ecosystem through the MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe programme will notably help film makers and producers to share their films and stories with a wider EU audience, while contributing to greater solidarity and cooperation.”

Find more information in our press release.