Moldova to join Creative Europe programme in 2026

The Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, and the Moldovan Minister of Culture, Sergiu Prodan, signed an agreement on the participation of the Republic of Moldova in Creative Europe, the European Union’s flagship programme to support the cultural and creative sectors.

From 1 January 2026, Moldovan organisations, artists, and cultural professionals will be eligible to participate in the Culture strand of the programme, benefiting from EU funding on equal terms with peers across Europe. 

Moldova, which has already been associated to Creative Europe in the previous programme period (2014-2020), will be the 41. country participating in the current programme cycle.

The agreement is now pending ratification in the Moldova legislative system. Once ratified, Moldovan cultural organisations will be able to participate in Creative Europe’s Culture strand. 

The agreement also foresees Moldova’s future participation in the programme’s MEDIA strand and full participation in the Cross-Sectorial strand, once the country’s audiovisual legislation is fully aligned with the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

The European Commission is supporting Moldova in its efforts to achieve this alignment as soon as possible.

Delivering on the EU-Moldova Summit commitments

The signature of the agreement delivers on the commitment made at the first EU-Moldova Summit in Chișinău in July 2025 and is a key outcome of Commissioner Micallef’s mission to the country. It also marks an important step in Moldova’s European integration process.

Background

Creative Europe plays a key role in strengthening Europe’s cultural and creative sectors. With a current budget of €2.44 billion, it supports thousands of projects and professionals promoting cross-border cooperation, artistic mobility, and cultural diversity. 

Since 2014, the Creative Europe programme has been supporting projects to foster cultural diversity, promote artistic expression, and boost the economic potential of the creative industries. As well as EU countries, the Creative Europe programme (2021-2027) is open to the participation of third countries, such as candidate countries.