European content creators need greater access to public funding, professional training and policymakers, according to a report from the Google-owned YouTube based on a consultation with more than 20,000 creators across the European Union including Ireland.
The report, “Creative Capital”, calls for changes to official business classifications, cultural funding programmes and financial support to reflect the growing role of digital creators in Europe’s economy.
It also sets out YouTube’s opposition to proposed prominence requirements that could give selected media organisations preferential visibility on platforms, arguing that such measures risk undermining independent creators.
The consultation, conducted by Public First in the UK, received 20,617 responses from creators across all 27 EU member states. An anonymous online survey ran between June 1 and July 8, 2026, alongside 20 individual interviews.
Some 63% of respondents said creators receive too little or no support with representation when engaging with government, while 65% said the same about access to funds and grants from government agencies.
The report cites separate figures compiled by research firm Oxford Economics estimating that YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed more than €8.4 billion to EU GDP in 2025 and supported more than 220,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
Pedro Pina, Vice-President of YouTube for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said creators were building businesses but encountering support systems that had not been designed for their work.
“They talk about hiring, cash flow and contracts. They describe barriers that slow their growth down and stop them from reinvesting: A funding scheme written before this kind of business existed. A training programme that does not recognise the job title ‘content creator’. An awards shortlist with no relevant category,” he said.
“Europe does not need to build new institutions for its creators. It needs to open the ones it already has.”
Among respondents earning revenue from their content, 66% said they typically reinvested that income in improving content quality.
The report proposes a dedicated classification for digital creators within the EU’s system for categorising economic activities, allowing their contribution to employment and business activity to be recorded more consistently.
It also calls for structured engagement between creators and EU institutions, their inclusion in international trade missions and the establishment of a European Parliament intergroup focused on the creator economy.
Recognition within established creative industries emerged as another concern. Some 64% of respondents said greater industry recognition would help them thrive, while 60% said increased representation at creative industry awards would help them feel more integrated or supported.
On skills, 60% said creators receive too little or no support with training for themselves or their employees.
Proposals include an Erasmus+ creator exchange pilot, a European Creator Campus offering accredited courses in production and business skills, and EU-funded apprenticeships providing 12-month placements with established creator businesses.
Access to production facilities was also highlighted, with 65% of respondents identified as professional creators saying the sector receives too little or no support with recording spaces and studios.
YouTube recommends subsidised regional hubs offering studios, sound booths, equipment and workspace. It also wants the Creative Europe MEDIA programme opened to productions led by digital creators.
In addition, the report says that financial products should reflect creators’ fluctuating income, with European Investment Fund support helping lenders develop suitable products for viable businesses.
For advertisers and agencies, the proposals include a verification framework for companies commissioning creator partnerships, intended to promote clear contracts, transparent terms and timely payment.
The report also highlights creators’ dependence on YouTube’s recommendation systems. Some 83% of respondents said its recommendation and discovery algorithms were important to their channel’s growth and revenue.
Among respondents with more than 100,000 subscribers or followers, 71% said reduced visibility resulting from changes to recommendation systems would affect their income and ability to grow.
YouTube argues that prominence mandates being discussed in the EU could favour a limited group of organisations at the expense of other creators and media businesses.
It says public service broadcasters and traditional media should instead be supported to develop their digital audiences and revenue streams.
The report combines findings from the consultation with YouTube’s policy recommendations. Its economic impact figures relate specifically to YouTube’s creative ecosystem, rather than the entire European creator economy.
