European Commission launches new Culture Compass for Europe
17/11/2025
The European Commission has recently unveiled its Culture Compass for Europe, a strategic framework designed to place culture at the heart of EU policy and strengthen the role of cultural and creative sectors across regions. The initiative aims to support artists, cultural professionals, and regional authorities, while promoting Europe’s cultural diversity, heritage, and innovation.
Why It Matters for Regional Development and Skills
Culture is more than an expression of identity—it is also a driver of regional development, social cohesion, and economic resilience. The Culture Compass emphasizes fair working conditions for artists, empowerment of cultural professionals, and stronger connections between culture, sustainability, and digital innovation.
For EARLALL and its member regions, these priorities closely align with our 2026 strategic focus, including:
- Fostering innovation in education through AI, digital, and green transitions, which can transform creative practices and cultural production.
- Enhancing the attractiveness and retention in VET and adult learning, ensuring that creative and cultural professions remain appealing career paths.
- Strengthening governance and cross-border recognition in VET and lifelong learning, which can support mobility and collaborative projects in the cultural sector.
- Contributing to the “Union of Skills”, ensuring that skills development in the creative industries is recognized and valued at regional and European levels.
- Promoting democratic engagement, citizenship, and social inclusion, leveraging culture as a tool for civic participation and social cohesion.
On January 28, 2025, EARLALL explored this area through our sectoral skills webinar on Creative and Cultural Industries, which examined the challenges and opportunities for vocational education, training, and lifelong learning in the sector. The Compass reinforces the need to equip cultural professionals with the skills required for innovation, entrepreneurship, and cross-border collaboration.
Key Actions of the Culture Compass
The Commission proposes a series of flagship actions to implement the Compass, including:
- An EU Artists Charter promoting fair working conditions and recognition for cultural professionals.
- A European Prize for Performing Arts to celebrate excellence in the sector.
- A Youth Cultural Ambassadors Network to engage young people and expand access to culture.
- A new EU Cultural Data Hub to improve data collection, analysis, and knowledge sharing.
- Initiatives linking culture, digitalisation, and sustainability, including the use of AI in the creative industries.
Opportunities for Regions
The Compass offers opportunities for regional authorities to support cultural education, strengthen creative VET programmes, and foster innovation in local cultural ecosystems. By leveraging these initiatives, regions can enhance the attractiveness of cultural and creative sectors, create jobs, and contribute to sustainable and inclusive development.
EARLALL will continue to monitor the implementation of the Culture Compass and explore ways for member regions to engage with these initiatives, building on our previous work in the creative and cultural industries sector.
Read more: European Commission Press Release
