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Armenia took part in perhaps biggest Creative Europe Programme (2014 to 2020) in the cultural sector on the European area.

The RA Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Artur Martirosyan said about this at the extraordinary sitting of the Standing Committee on European Integration, presenting the draft law on Ratifying the Agreement on the RA Participation to the Creative Europe Programme (2021-2027) between the RA and the European Union. This is the second phase. It was signed on September 14, 2022 by the RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and on October 11 by the EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth at European Commission Mariya Gabriel.

The representatives of the cultural and creative sector will get opportunity to have cross-border cooperation also with the European counterparts of the sector due to the Programme. Grant programmes will be provided in the sectors of literature, theatre, architecture, fine arts, musical art, design and in a number of other sectors. The Programme is part of the RA-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova from the Eastern Partnership countries also take part in the Programme.

Membership is envisaged, which is measured with a rather complicated financial mechanism, including operational allocation and participation fee. This year Armenia should pay membership fee amounting 54.000 Euros.

A relevant Office will operate, which will inform the individual creators and the cultural organization about the opportunities, will develop their capacities in elaboration of the best grant applications and presenting them.

According to Artur Martirosyan, the Programme is a good opportunity to develop the creative sector and to present Armenian culture on the European area.

The Committee Chair Arman Yeghoyan informed that during the parliament of the previous convocation Armenia passed the RA law on Cinematography, which was a mandatory prerequisite for joining the Media strand of the Creative Europe Agreement. However, Armenia had not yet joined that strand.

The Committee Chair inquired if it is possible next year for Armenia to join the Programme. “We joined the Culture Strand of the Creative Europe (2014 to 2020), we can claim to join also the Media strand,” Artur Martirosyan clarified, adding: “Armenia has a cooperation format with the European Union format People-to-people, and one of its important strands of the agenda is the cooperation with the audiovisual strand.”

It was noted that certain proposals were presented, within the framework of which in case of making sub-legislative regulations the participation of Armenia in the Media strand will be more effective.

The RA Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport noted that a Special Committee was created for raising efficiency of the work of the Sub-Committee for People-to-people.

Arman Yeghoyan highlighted the Creative Europe Programme and the Agreement under discussion.

The draft law was endorsed.