The Creative Europe programme was established by the European Parliament and began its work on January 1, 2014. Its budget for 2014-2020 amounts to 1.5 billion euro. The project provides for the support of culture, cinema, television, music, literature, art, and objects of European cultural and historical heritage. It covers all EU member states, candidate countries, and neighbouring countries.

Because of the assistance provided by the Creative Europe programme the EU has, for the last two years, been helping thousands of representatives and institutions from the art world work outside their countries, go beyond the bounds of their cultures, and expand their target audiences. Within the project framework, the following programmes are financed: the European Capitals of Culture, the European Heritage Days, the Heritage Label, as well as European awards including the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage (Europa Nostra Awards), the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, the European Union Prize for Literature, the European Border Breakers Awards, and the EU Prix MEDIA.

The programme’s support of European cinema has become especially appreciable. Owing to that support nearly 30 films that obtained support from the ЕС MEDIA foundation in 2014 have been selected to participate in the Berlin International Film Festival’s official program. Motion pictures included in the main contest programme have received assistance from the EU amounting to 2.2 million euro. Within the next 7 years 800 million euro will be allocated for development and distribution of over 800 European movies.

The 68th Cannes Film Festival, where 25 motion pictures supported by Creative Europe were presented at once, became the key cinematographic event of 2015. The festival jury awarded five of these movies, and the French director Jacques Audiard’s film “Dheepan” became the Cannes triumphator and won the grand prize, the Palme d'Or.