WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2426/98 by Concepció FERRER to the Commission. Cultural policy as a source of job creation
Date: 1998-07-30
Institutions: European Parliament, FERRER
Subjects: EU Member State, cultural policy, employment policy, job creation, job security

C 96/94

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

8.4.1999

Finally, the sites managed by the DGs dealing with external relations vary according to their audiences. DG VIII
is bilingual (French and English), DG I offers documents in three languages (Spanish, French and English),
ECHO uses four (English, Spanish, French and Portuguese) and DG I and DG IA are mainly English based.
However, basic documents related to enlargement are available in the eleven official languages of the Union and
in the languages of the candidate countries, and documents concerning the instruments of commercial policy are
offered in three languages (English, French and German).

It must also be realized that some particularly volatile pages such as (cid:145)what(cid:146)s new(cid:146) or last minute presentations can
only be managed in one single language, understandable by the greater number.

Maintaining a fully or partially multilingual server requires considerable resources which are not necessarily
available to the extent needed. However, the Commission is convinced that all the institutions present under
Europa will continue to increase the efforts aiming at satisfying the needs expressed by their actual and potential
users.

(1999/C 96/132)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2426/98

by Concepci(cid:243) Ferrer (PPE) to the Commission

(30 July 1998)

Subject: Cultural policy as a source of job creation

On account of its socio-economic dimension the culture sector is a major factor in endogenous regional
development which is capable of making a significant contribution to employment, both in regional economies
and in private industry.

To date the sector has created 3,1 million jobs in the EU Member States (2,1 % of the total). Many of these
culture-related jobs and activities provide essentially part-time or self-employed work and are highly vulnerable
from the point of view of stability and sustainability.

Has the Commission any proposals to help improve the stability and sustainability of employment in the sector
concerned?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 1998)

The 1998 employment guidelines, adopted by the Council on 15 December 1997 (1) established specific
objectives to be incorporated into the national employment plans drawn up by the Member States. This important
step toward co-ordination of the Member States(cid:146) employment policies within the framework of the European
employment strategy is based on the four pillars of employability, entrepreneurship, adaptability and equal
opportunities. The policy orientations are particularly relevant for sectors of employment such as the cultural
sector in seeking to promote an enterprise culture and a business-friendly environment, to improve the skills and
the work experience of the workforce, and to take into account the fact that current forms of employment are
increasingly diverse.

In the communication (cid:145)Community policies in support of employment(cid:146) (2) submitted to the Cardiff European
Council, the Commission has made specific reference to the employment potential of this sector. Moreover,
under the terms of Article 128 (4) of the draft Amsterdam Treaty, the Community must take cultural aspects into
account and must reconcile the inherent objectives of the measures taken with cultural objectives, in particular as
regards respect for cultural diversity, the encouragement of creativity and cultural development and support for
cultural co-operation and exchanges. In its communication on the first Community framework programme in
support of culture (2000-2004), presented on 6 May 1998 (3), the Commission proposes to ensure the integration
of cultural aspects into Community action and policy under three headings, namely a legislative framework
favourable to culture, the cultural dimension of support policies and culture in the Community(cid:146)s external
relations.

(1) OJ C 30, 28.1.1998.
(2) COM(98) 354 final.
(3) COM(98) 266 final.