Culture gives citizens a sense of community and integration. According to a Special Eurobarometer on Europeans’ attitudes towards culture, citizens strongly support cultural exchange, artistic freedom and fair working conditions for artists. They also call for a stronger EU role to protect heritage and respond to the impact of new technologies. The Special Eurobarometer will inform the next preparatory stages of the Culture Compass for Europe, the Commission’s upcoming strategic framework for EU cultural policy.
87% of respondents agree that culture and cultural exchange should have a very important place in the EU, so that citizens feel more European. 86% say cultural heritage is important for Europe, confirming that culture is valued not only in current life but also as part of the past, the Eurobarometer survey shows. A similar percentage of respondents say that culture and the arts are important for welfare and economic development.
Artistic freedom remains a pillar of democratic societies, and 88% of Europeans said that it matters to them. 77% believe that artists can freely express their ideas and opinions without fear of censorship or retaliation by their government. However, perceptions of artistic freedom vary across member states.
49% of respondents indicated that they participated in artistic activities in the previous 12 months. This is a significant increase compared to 2013, when the figure stood at 37%.
At the same time, 73% of surveyed Europeans are concerned that the rise of generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) may have an impact on employment or earnings for artists. Less than half of Europeans (48%) said they could tell the difference between an AI piece of art and one crafted by a human.
Europeans also believe their country and the EU should work more closely together on cultural policy matters. Here are the top priorities: making the arts more accessible; protecting cultural heritage sites during wars, natural disasters or climate change; ensuring artists and cultural workers have fair pay and good working conditions.
