Creative industries account for 3.3 % of total EU GDP and 3 % of employment, and are  among the most dynamic sectors in the EU. This is one of the main conclusions issued from the European Competitiveness Report 2010 which follows up on the elements proposed by the Communication on “An integrated industrial policy for the globalisation era”.

According to the European Competitiveness Report 2010, the increasing importance of skills and creativity in the EU job market is clearer when looking at professions that are ‘creative’ in essence, regardless of whether they belong to the ‘creative industries’ proper or to more traditional activities. Creative industries are at the crossroads between arts, business and technology, and it was referred to by Commission's Green Paper on how to unlock the potential of cultural and creative industries, they might range from information services, such as publishing or software, to professional services like architecture, advertising or design.

Occupations considered as ‘creative’ include for example professions such as mathematicians or engineers, along with writers, creative and performing artists and artistic or entertainment professions. Creative occupations are growing within and outside the creative industries, indicating that creativity is spreading to other sectors.

In this sense, software consulting accounted for more than half of creative industries’ employment growth in the EU-27 in 2000–2007. Indeed, the employment growth rate for software consultancy in the EU-27 was about 5.2 % per year on average in 2000-2007. Within software publishing, the video games industry is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide.

Creative industries stand out because of their propensity for innovation

Some creative industries are among the most potentially innovative of all EU sectors. Firms in software consultancy and supply are the most innovative of the service industries. The architecture and advertising industries have a higher than usual share of firms introducing new or significantly improved services.

The report also shows that the impact of the creative industries is not only economic and thus calls for more than national or local action. While the welfare effects are difficult to quantify, it is clear that some of the creative industries facilitate structural adjustment in declining regions

Cultural and creative industries as drivers for economic and social innovation

The impact of cultural and creative industries is further addressed by Commission's Communication on "An integrated industrial policy for the globalisation era", which puts forward the role played by cultural and creative industries as important drivers of economic and social innovation in other sectors. Design, architecture, and advertising play an important role in supporting investments such as in construction, new consumer technologies, environmentally friendly solutions and the digital economy.

Likewise mobility and logistic services are becoming increasingly important to sustain value chains and enable just-in-time production. Closer collaboration between such industries and EU, Member state, regional, and local policy makers will promote their contribution to the economy as a whole.

The Commission will propose in 2011 strategic initiatives including a Communication on key aspects of the competitiveness of the fashion industry, launching a European Creative Industries Alliance and a European Mobile and Mobility Industries Alliance to bring together policy makers and industry representatives.