S&D member of the European Parliament, Fred Matić, will lead a majority in the EP this week to introduce a European status for artists. This status would guarantee artists and people working in the cultural sector, who suffered badly from the Covid-19 crisis, to have access to unemployment allowances, health care and pensions throughout the EU.

Fred Matić, Croatian MEP and S&D negotiator on the file in the European Parliament’s committee on culture and education, said:

“This report comes at a crucial time, when we are still dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic for the cultural and creative sectors, and we need to keep in mind we are talking about 8 million people in Europe who are employed and working within these sectors. This is why the S&D Group were focused in its work on the report asking for concrete and tangible support measures. We want the member states to ensure full access to social protection for artists and cultural workers, regardless of their employment status. Also, we are asking the Commission to propose a European Status of the Artist, setting out a common framework for working conditions and a minimum standards common to all EU countries. Our priority is ensuring that no one in the cultural and creative sectors is left behind, and we will ensure this through full social protection for workers and adequate funding for recovery.”