13/05/2026
BETTER SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR SCREENWRITERS
Across Europe, more and more countries are debating how to adapt social protection systems to the realities of artistic and creative work.
🟥 Ireland has expanded its Basic Income for the Arts scheme.
🟥 Finnish creative sector organisations are jointly calling for reforms to unemployment protection tailored to cultural workers.
🟥 In France, a parliamentary proposal recently sought to establish a “continuity of income” mechanism for artists and authors, explicitly recognising the structural instability of creative careers, even though the proposal was ultimately rejected.
These debates reflect a broader European trend already identified by the European Parliament in its Resolution of 21 November 2023 on the social and professional situation of artists.
The Resolution notably calls on EU Member States to:
🟥 create a specific status for self-employed workers, including screenwriters, ensuring effective access to social protection and regular review of its adequacy (Point 7);
🟥 establish comprehensive social protection schemes adapted to the structural irregularity of income across Europe’s cultural sector (Point 8).
Artistic and screenwriting careers are rarely linear. They are characterised by project-based work, irregular income, periods of research and development, and long creative cycles.
Traditional social protection systems were largely designed for stable and continuous employment models.
Europe is increasingly recognising that cultural democracy also depends on sustainable creative careers.
👉 Protecting artistic freedom also means protecting the material conditions that make creation possible.
Please find in the comments the link to the European Parliament Resolution, as well as the statement published by our Finnish member SUNKLO.
