In addition to the systems of direct public support for the arts and artists, there are pieces of legislation in many European countries which take into account some of the social and /or economic needs of artists resulting from their often precarious working status.
"Integrated models" which facilitate cooperation between cultural policies (including direct and indirect measures) and other areas of policy making (e.g. economics, social affairs, health or employment) are few. A re-orientation or re-focussing of existing public policies for artists and their working environment in a more integrated manner remains a challenging task. While the core issues facing artists' social and economic needs are similar, governments across Europe have adopted different solutions. The Compendium country profiles provide information on employment policies for the cultural sector, social security or labour frameworks for self-employed artists, special tax exemptions on artist's expenses, etc. This information enables users to identify innovative approaches which could help to inspire new policy developments.
Comparative overviews of social security laws, income tax measures and VAT reductions for self-employed artists are available from the Compendium's comparisons section.

http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/status-of-artists.php