Creative Europe Media would likely welcome an application from the UK to re-join as negotiations for the next cycle of the EU funding programme from 2028 begin this year, Screen has learned.
An application from the UK would send a signal of the importance of the programme, European sources believe.
British Film Institute (BFI) chair Jay Hunt said last month there are “more positive noises from this [Labour] government” about the possibility of a UK return to the Creative Europe, compared to the previous government. The BFI has declined to comment further.
The current cycle for the EU subsidy programme for sales, distribution and production companies and cultural exchange across Europe ends in 2027.
Under the current round, Creative Europe has a budget of £2.4bn, of which Media receives £1.4bn.
Precedent
There are several precedents for countries taking part in Media without being formally in the EU: Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein participate as countries that are part of the European Free Trade Association, which the UK is not.
While EU member countries take part in Media without an additional fee, the UK could join as a third country, in accordance with conditions laid down in a specific agreement. Working out the cost of membership involves a complex formula, involving a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
With this membership, under Creative Europe’s current framework, there are conditions. Third countries are subject the terms in the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which includes quotas for European works on streaming platforms. A 30% of the catalogue should be European.
There is a precedent for the UK returning to an EU scheme post-Brexit, with the UK becoming an associated country to Horizon Europe – the EU’s funding programme for research and innovation, at the start of 2024.
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