Support for the refurbishment of cultural facilities

Subject: Support for the refurbishment of cultural facilities

On a visit to the ‘Gráfica – Centro de Criação Artística’ art centre, I learned that there is little or no support from Community funds for the refurbishment of cultural facilities.

The initiative of the municipality of Setúbal – a repurposed former printworks – is a space where all forms of contemporary artistic research and expression mix: visual and performing arts, design, literature, digital culture, architecture, etc. It is an important project to enhance artistic production, which hosts national and international artists and aims to develop a programme combining the creation and production of projects, research and artistic residences with a public dimension: this may include debates, exhibitions, festivals, installations, training and educational services, among others.

The project, which is still in its early infancy, lacks the necessary funds to upgrade the infrastructure to help it meet its objectives. The Portuguese recovery and resilience plan (PRR) provides scant funding for culture, and only for the digitisation of equipment and the upgrading of museums, national theatres, monuments and palaces – a limited scope in light of the needs of the cultural and creative sector.

In view of this:

1. Does the limited scope for funding for culture from the PRR stem from any Commission requirement?

2. For which funds can municipalities apply for the upgrading and refurbishment of cultural facilities?

Answer given by Ms Gabriel on behalf of the European Commission

(3 January 2022)

It is for Member States to propose the reforms and investments to be covered in their national recovery and resilience plans (RRPs).

When assessing the plans, the Commission is legally bound to the assessment criteria set out in Article 19(3) of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) Regulation, which it shall apply in accordance with Annex V (1).

The regulation’s rules apply to all measures of the RRP and do not include specific limitations regarding the use of funds for culture. Numerous specific measures in the plans assessed and endorsed so far (2) shall support the cultural and creative sectors.

One example of direct support to such sectors is the programme ‘Saber Fazer’ (EUR 2 million) aiming to preserve artisan techniques and professions, included in the larger investment in Cultural Heritage (EUR 148 million) of component #4 of the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Given that culture is primarily a sector of national competence, beyond the RRF and in the context of the future cohesion policy, municipalities can explore opportunities made available under the structural funds’ operational programmes, led by national and regional managing authorities.

Particularly under Objective 4 and 5 of the new European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2021-2027, it will be possible to support projects addressing cultural and creative sectors.

⋅1∙ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0241&from=EN

⋅2∙ The Commission assessments are available here: https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/recovery-coronavirus/recovery-and-resilience-facility/recovery-

and-resilience-plans-assessments_en