The system for the compensation of private copying must be reformed, and early funding to support growth in the creative industries must be established
To ensure that the creative industries are not overlooked amidst the latest technological advances, the following changes must be implemented during the 2027–2031 government term:
The current private copying levy, which is funded from the state budget, is contrary to EU law and the relevant directive. This was noted in the analysis commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture and published in February 2025, in which Judge of the Court of Appeal Harenko examined the development of the compensation system. The current level of funding is also insufficient to compensate for the harm caused to the creative sector.
The levy is not a discretionary cultural grant, but rather a compensation, based on legislation and an EU directive, for the harm caused by private copying and recording. If legislative changes are not introduced promptly, the European Commission may be forced to intervene in the legal situation in Finland, which is currently in breach of EU law and the directive. If the private compensation for private copying is switched to be based on recording, €5.5 million will be released from the state budget annually in the next government term.
In recent years, product development and content creation in the creative sector have become more efficient thanks to artificial intelligence and other technological opportunities. With the creative sector undergoing a period of transition, the importance of early-stage support has become even more pronounced. At the same time, there is no continuity in the support structures, as they are under the threat of cuts year after year.
In the Growth Strategy for the Creative Industry published in 2025, the DigiDemo and CreaDemo grants awarded through AVEK, along with the associated advisory services, were identified as one of the practical measures to ensure the growth of the creative economy. With demo support, companies can get their product development off the ground and showcase demos to potential private investors, for example.
Establishing the demo programmes of AVEK and securing their funding. Allocating €1,350,000 from the state budget as annual funding for DigiDemo and CreaDemo.
In addition to the rise of artificial intelligence, the future of the film industry is threatened by a difficult market situation and cost-cutting pressures within the sector. Most of our peer countries have national film development programmes, but Finland lacks such a scheme.
Since it is only Finns who tell Finnish stories, we must ensure that there will continue to be Finnish filmmakers. AVEK’s Kehittämö programme produces Finnish filmmakers of the future. The development programme mentors the most talented filmmakers of their generation and shapes the beginnings of new, high-quality films.
Securing the future of domestic audiovisual content through AVEK’s Kehittämö programme, to which €500,000 in annual funding should be allocated.
In addition to these, AVEK supports Kopiosto’s objectives for the next government term.
A large proportion of the audiovisual culture grants awarded by AVEK are provided through the compensation for private copying. The subsidy currently paid from the state budget was halved from the start of 2025.
In 2025, AVEK was only able to provide €1.7 million in support to the audiovisual sector, which is approximately 60% of the total amount of support provided in 2024. The change was particularly sharp in terms of documentary and short films, as well as media art. In 2025, AVEK supported the creation of a total of 81 works with copyright funds, compared to 163 works that received support in the previous year.
AVEK funds the development of cultural content and cultural entrepreneurship through the DigiDemo and CreaDemo grants. Many of today’s success stories in the creative industries, such as the Yousician app and Sofia Ilmonen’s modular clothing innovation (article in Finnish), got their start with demo grants awarded by AVEK. The Ministry of Education and Culture has gradually reduced the amount of grant funding since 2020 by around 50% to the current level of €762,000.
The Kehittämö programme of AVEK and the Finnish Cultural Foundation produces Finnish filmmakers of the future. Based on a model that has proven to work around the world, the development programme mentors the most talented filmmakers of their generation and shapes the beginnings of new, high-quality films. Over the past four years, Kehittämo has supported 20 emerging filmmakers in developing the concepts for their first feature-length films. The development programme will end in 2026 unless new funding is secured.
