EC AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES 2…

"Creative industries are increasingly a source of growth in the EU" says the annual European Competitiveness Report accompanying the communication on "An integrated Industrial Policy for the Globalisation Era". The Communication, a flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 strategy, sets out a strategy that aims to boost growth and jobs by maintaining and supporting a strong, diversified and competitive industrial base in Europe offering well-paid jobs while becoming less carbon intensive. Among others, it says that "the cultural and creative industries are important drivers of economic and social innovation in other sectors". The Communication is accompanied by the annual European Competitiveness Report, containing a long section on creative industries. The report highlights that "creative industries are increasingly a source of growth in the EU", accounting for "3.3% of total EU GDP and 3% of employment". It stresses that "recent findings at the regional level for ten EU countries show that the creative industries had a positive and significant effect on the growth rate of local GDP per capita in 2002-2007". Finally, the report underlines that "creative industries stand out because of their propensity for innovation" and that "they are not only innovators themselves but have also been an important driver for innovation [as] they account for increasing inputs in the development of other sectors".