EU National Institutes for Culture - EUNIC


The impact of Covid‐19 on the cultural and creative sectors in the EU’s partner countries

A recent study launched by Cultural Relations Platform's, analysing and assessing the impact of Covid-19 on the cultural and creative sectors in the EU’s partner countries, has been published.

In May 2020, the Cultural Relations Platform launched a study to analyse and assess the impact of the global pandemic on the cultural and creative sectors (CCS) in the European Union's partner countries – the Neighbourhood (South and East), the Western Balkans, and the strategic partner countries – and on their capacity and willingness to conduct international relations.

The research was conducted by Professor Pierangelo Isernia and Alessandro Giovanni Lamonica of University of Siena on behalf of the Cultural Relations Platform. EUNIC collaborates with both organisations for international cultural relations research and knowledge sharing initiatives.

The study is divided in five chapters:

  • An assessment of the impact of Covid-19 on the CCS in partner countries;
  • An analysis of the policy responses put in place by state and non-state actors;
  • A set of case studies which offers a short overview of the impact of Covid-19 and a description of policy responses in eight countries: Brazil, China, India, Morocco, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine, and the United States;
  • A short analysis of the digitization process operating in the cultural sector in all partner countries;
  • A conclusion on the support to international cultural relations during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Concerning international cultural relations specifically, the report shows that the emergency ignited by the outbreak and the restriction measures that followed are affecting the capacity of cultural actors to conduct international cultural relations.

On the one hand, any public or private measure aimed at supporting cultural practitioners and cultural organizations at the national level – from grants and loans to technical support – is indirectly helping to preserve the capacity of cultural actors to project their activities and relations beyond national borders. On the other hand, some public authorities and private philanthropies are tailoring their emergency and recovery response mechanisms to the specific needs and functioning of international cultural relations.

The full study is available here.



  • Publication
  • Cultural relations

Co-funded by the European Union Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.