Cultural Compass for Europe is a new strategic guide launched by the European Commission to support cultural, craft, and heritage professionals across Europe, designed to guide cultural actors, institutions, and policymakers through the EU’s evolving cultural landscape. This initiative provides practical tools, funding guidance, policy updates, and forward-looking insights to support professionals working in heritage, crafts, and the creative industries. Its goal is to strengthen cooperation across Europe, encourage sustainable cultural development, and help organisations navigate current challenges: from digital transformation to cross-border mobility.

In September 2025, the BRICKS Project brought partners and educators to Florence and Montelupo in Italy, two cities where heritage crafts, design, and education intersect. This study visit was the third and final visit. Over three days, partners, educators, and artisans explored how non-formal education can support the transmission of craft knowledge, while also connecting with innovation, certification, and policy frameworks. This visit marked a turning point for the project: moving from shared exploration towards shaping final recommendations and future scenarios for non-formal craft education across Europe. It also opened the conversation to the wider public during one of Italy’s most prestigious craft events, Artigianato e Palazzo at Palazzo Corsini in Florence, Italy.

As part of the new AgoraEU plan, the European Commission has proposed a €8.6 billion budget to support culture, media, and democracy from 2028 to 2034. This includes €1.8 billion for Creative Europe – Culture, €3.2 billion for the Media+ programme, and €3.6 billion for initiatives under Democracy, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values. AgoraEU will cover policy areas that are key to empowering European citizens and building stronger, more resilient societies. The plan also highlights greater mobility for artists and deeper cross-border cultural cooperation.

The next edition of the European Artistic Crafts Days (EACD) will take place from 7 to 12 April 2026 in locations across Europe. This annual event invites the public to explore and engage with traditional and contemporary craft practices through open studios, exhibitions, workshops, and live demonstrations. First launched in 2002 by the Institut pour les Savoir-Faire Français and recognised as a European event since 2012, EACD continues to promote the value of craftsmanship as a vital part of Europe’s cultural heritage and creative future. The 2026 edition will build on the success of previous years, with hundreds of craftspeople and organisations opening their doors and sharing their knowledge, skills, and stories to over 1 million people around Europe.

A new tool is on the horizon for craftspeople across Europe: from December 2025, artisanal products will finally benefit from EU-wide Geographical Indications (GIs). That means your work, when rooted in a specific place and tradition, can be officially recognised, defended from misuse and valued for what it truly is. The Commission on the 6th of June 2025 has decided that businesses in Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, and Sweden can register their craft and industrial geographical indications (such as traditional products) directly with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The new EU system for Geographical Indications for Craft and Industrial Products (CIGIs) will help Member States protect the names of products that have a specific quality, reputation or other characteristic linked to their geographical origin. These Member States have chosen not to designate a national competent authority for handling CIGI applications.

The Crafting Europe Manifesto 2025 was officially launched on 22 May 2025 at Révélations, the International Biennial of Fine Craft and Creation, held at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, in the presence of representatives of crafts organisations, craftspeople, stakeholders, as well as decision and policy makers from all over Europe. In response to a rapidly evolving cultural and economic landscape, the European Crafts Alliance (ECA), a network of 38 crafts organisations from 23 European countries which includes Mad’in Europe, is issuing a renewed Crafting Europe Manifesto—a strategic and reasserted call to action aimed at securing the future of Europe’s diverse and dynamic craft sector.

From June 9–14, CRAFTOUR partners gathered on Denmark’s “craft island” for a week of hands-on experiences, rich dialogue, and shared reflection. Hosted by Hephaestus and BOFA, the symposium marked a key moment: the first public presentation of CRAFTOUR’s core pillars and collaborative input on policy recommendations. Thoughtful feedback from researchers and craft practitioners is already shaping the next steps—toward the European Commission this November. Bornholm wasn’t just a milestone; it was a space for deep questioning and shared purpose.

Crafts play a vital role in Europe’s economy and cultural fabric — fueling innovation, sustainability, and local development across regions. They are a serious economic force in Europe. The annual conference, Positioning Crafts in the Contemporary Economy, will explore how the sector fuels innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable growth across the EU. The event will bring together guest speakers from across Europe and nearly 40 members of the ECA. The conference, co-organised by Norwegian Crafts, will be held in person in Oslo, Norway, at Litteraturhuset and live-streamed online. It is open to all and free to attend. The full programme, and speakers will be announced in the coming weeks!

Help shape the future of craft by taking part in the survey! This questionnaire is part of ‘Reskilling Crafts,’ a European project co-funded by the European Union, supporting artisans in Europe in adapting to evolving markets, technologies, and social needs. Your insights will help us create tailored training paths and better support for craftspeople across Europe.