Media Strand

The Creative Europe Programme comprises three strands:

the CULTURE Strand, which covers all sectors of culture and creation (with the exception of the audiovisual and cinematographic sectors);
the MEDIA Strand, which covers the audiovisual and cinematographic sectors;
the CROSS-SECTORAL Strand, which promotes collaboration between the creative sectors and covers the media sector.

Armenia is not associated with the MEDIA Strand.

The MEDIA Strand of Creative Europe is the European Commission's instrument to support the European Audiovisual sector (cinema, television, digital platforms, video games, immersive content).

The support actions of the MEDIA Strand are divided into four thematic areas:

Content: foster collaboration and innovation in the creation and production of high-quality works.
Business: promoting innovation, competitiveness, scalability, and talent in companies in order to strengthen European industry in the face of its global competitors.
Audiences: strengthen the accessibility and visibility of works for their potential audiences, through distribution channels and audience expansion initiatives.
Policies: support debate/exchange forums, studies, and reports on policies. Promote awareness-raising actions.

The main new features of the MEDIA Strand (compared to the previous Programme) include:

Measures to foster cooperation (partnerships) across the value chain and at EU level in order to expand European audiovisual companies and content on a global scale;
Measures to support talent, regardless of its origin, and to expand participation and collaboration between countries (greater collaboration between countries with high and low audiovisual production capacity);
Measures to support the use of new technologies to ensure full exploitation of digital transformation;
Measures to promote the greening of the sector and societal objectives such as gender equality and diversity (including with weight in the evaluation criteria).
A study on market trends will be carried out every two years, as provided for in the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan.

The MEDIA Strand has 2 major priorities:

strengthening the capacity of the Audiovisual Sector to operate internationally;
Promotion of the transnational circulation of audiovisual works.

In order to achieve Capacity Building in the Audiovisual Sector, MEDIA has the following objectives:

Facilitate the acquisition of skills and the development of networks, encouraging in particular the use of digital technologies to ensure the necessary adaptation to market developments;
Increase the creative capacity of audiovisual operators with regard to audiovisual works with potential for dissemination within and outside Europe and facilitate European and international co-productions, including with television broadcasting companies;
Stimulate exchange between companies, facilitating access for audiovisual operators to markets and commercial tools that reinforce the visibility of their projects in European and international markets.

Regarding the Promotion of Transnational Circulation, MEDIA's objectives are:

Support film distribution through transnational marketing, promotion, distribution and exhibition activities of audiovisual projects;
Support transnational marketing and distribution through online platforms;
Support audience development as a means of stimulating interest in audiovisual works, particularly through their promotion, events, and festivals and the development of cinematographic skills;
Promote the flexibility of new means of distribution in order to allow the emergence of new business models.

You may consult the different funding lines of the MEDIA Strand for information on objectives, eligibility criteria and evaluation criteria.

You are invited to learn more about MEDIA's 30-year history here.