Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a European agenda for culture in a globalizing world {SEC(2007) 570}
Date: 2007-05-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU action, EU programme, cultural cooperation, cultural policy, cultural transmission

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 10.5.2007 
COM(2007) 242 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN 
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE 
REGIONS 

on a European agenda for culture in a globalizing world 

{SEC(2007) 570} 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN 
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE 
REGIONS 

on a European agenda for culture in a globalizing world 

"Culture is all the dreams and labour tending towards forging humanity. Culture requests a 
paradoxical pact: diversity must be the principle of unity, taking stock of differences is 
necessary not to divide, but to enrich culture even more. Europe is a culture or it is not." 
Denis de Rougemont 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Culture lies at the heart of human development and civilisation. Culture is what makes people 
hope and dream, by stimulating our senses and offering new ways of looking at reality. It is 
what brings people together, by stirring dialogue and arousing passions, in a way that unites 
rather  than  divides.  Culture  should  be  regarded  as  a set  of  distinctive  spiritual  and  material 
traits  that  characterize  a society  and  social  group.  It  embraces  literature  and  arts  as  well  as 
ways of life, value systems, traditions and beliefs. 

As Dario Fo rightly pointed out, "even before Europe was united in an economic level or was 
conceived  at  the  level  of  economic  interests  and  trade,  it  was  culture  that  united  all  the 
countries  of  Europe.  The  arts,  literature,  music  are  the  connecting  link  of  Europe".  Indeed, 
Europeans  share  a  common  cultural  heritage,  which  is  the  result  of  centuries  of  creativity, 
migratory  flows  and  exchanges.  They  also  enjoy  and  value  a  rich  cultural  and  linguistic 
diversity, which is inspiring and has inspired many countries across the world.  

The originality and success of the European Union is in its ability to respect Member States’ 
varied and intertwined history, languages and cultures, while forging common understanding 
and rules which have guaranteed peace, stability, prosperity and solidarity - and with them, a 
huge richness of cultural heritage and creativity to which successive enlargements have added 
more  and  more.  Through  this  unity  in  diversity,  respect  for  cultural  and  linguistic  diversity 
and promotion of a common cultural heritage lies at the very heart of the European project. 
This is more than ever indispensable in a globalizing world.  

In  today's  Europe,  cultural  exchanges  are  as  lively  and  vibrant  as  ever.  The  freedom  of 
movement  provided  for  by  the  EC  Treaty  has  greatly  facilitated  cultural  exchanges  and 
dialogue across borders. Cultural activities and the demand for cultural goods are spreading, 
with  unprecedented  access  thanks  to  new  communication  tools.  At  the  same  time, 
globalisation has increased the exposure to more diverse cultures from across the world. This 
has heightened our curiosity and capacity to exchange with and benefit from other cultures, 
and contributed to the diversity of our societies. However, this has also raised questions about 
Europe's identity and its ability to ensure intercultural, cohesive societies. 

World-wide, cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue have become major challenges for a 
global order based on peace, mutual understanding and respect for shared values, such as the 
protection and promotion of human rights and the protection of languages. In this respect, the 
entry into force of the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity 

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of cultural expressions on 18 March 2007 is to be seen as a fundamental step, to which the EU 
has greatly contributed.  

Europe’s cultural richness and diversity is closely linked to its role and influence in the world. 
The European Union is not just an economic process or a trading power, it is already widely - 
and accurately - perceived as an unprecedented and successful social and cultural project. The 
EU is, and must aspire to become even more, an example of a "soft power" founded on norms 
and  values  such  as  human  dignity,  solidarity,  tolerance,  freedom  of  expression,  respect  for 
diversity  and  intercultural  dialogue,  values  which,  provided  they  are  upheld  and  promoted, 
can be of inspiration for the world of tomorrow. 

Europe's cultural richness based on its diversity is also, and increasingly so, an important asset 
in an immaterial and knowledge-based world. The European cultural sector is already a very 
dynamic  trigger  of  economic  activities  and  jobs  throughout  the  EU  territory.  Cultural 
activities also help promoting an inclusive society and contribute to preventing and reducing 
poverty  and  social  exclusion.  As  was  recognised  by  the  conclusions  of  the  2007  Spring 
European Council, creative entrepreneurs and a vibrant cultural industry are a unique source 
of innovation for the future. This potential must be recognised even more and fully tapped. 

Purpose of the Communication 

Awareness is growing that the EU has a unique role to play in promoting its cultural richness 
and  diversity,  both  within  Europe  and  world-wide.  There  is  also  acknowledgement  that 
culture  is  an  indispensable  feature  to  achieve  the  EU's  strategic  objectives  of  prosperity, 
solidarity and security, while ensuring a stronger presence on the international scene.  

Based  on  extensive  consultations1,  this  Communication  explores  the  relationship  between 
culture and Europe in a globalizing world and proposes objectives for a new EU agenda for 
culture. This agenda is to be shared by all stakeholders (the Commission, Member States and 
involving civil society and the European Parliament). The Commission therefore also seeks to 
establish new partnerships and methods for cooperation between them.  

2. 

THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE EU TO CULTURE

2 

'Culture' is generally recognised as complex to define. It can refer to the fine arts, including a 
variety  of  works  of  art,  cultural  goods  and  services.  'Culture'  also  has  an  anthropological 
meaning. It is the basis for a symbolic world of meanings, beliefs, values, traditions which are 
expressed in language, art, religion and myths. As such, it plays a fundamental role in human 
development  and  in  the  complex  fabric  of  the  identities  and  habits  of  individuals  and 
communities.  

In the context of this Communication, the main focus will be on the importance of the various 
facets of culture in developing strategies both within the EU and with third countries. 

1 

2 

See http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/communication/consult_en.html and  
http://ec.europa.eu/development/body/theme/human_social/pol_culture1_en.htm 
For further details, see the annexed staff working paper "Inventory of Community actions in the field of 
culture". 

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The basis for the action of the EU in the field of culture lies in the Treaty. Article 151 states 
that: 

"The Community shall contribute to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States, while 
respecting  their  national  and  regional  diversity  and  at  the  same  time  bringing  the  common 
heritage to the fore." 

"Action by the Community shall be aimed at encouraging cooperation between Member States 
and, if necessary, supporting and supplementing their action …." 

"The Community and the Member States shall foster cooperation with third countries and the 
competent  international  organisations  in  the  sphere  of  culture,  in  particular  the  Council  of 
Europe."  

"The Community shall take cultural aspects into account in its action under other provisions 
of this Treaty, in particular in order to respect and to promote the diversity of its cultures." 

Culture  is  and  will  therefore  primarily  remain  a  responsibility  of  Member  States;  in  some 
countries  it  is  largely  dealt  with  at  the  regional  or  even  local  level.  Article  151  does  not 
provide,  for  example,  for  harmonisation  of  the  laws  and  regulations  of  the  Member  States. 
Action at EU level is to be undertaken in full respect of the principle of subsidiarity, with the 
role  of  the  EU  being  to  support  and  complement,  rather  than  to  replace,  the  actions  of  the 
Member States, by respecting their diversity and stimulating exchanges, dialogue and mutual 
understanding. 

2.1. The role of the EU's internal policies and programmes 

The EU already contributes to promoting cultural activities in Europe through its programmes 
and policies in many ways:  

•  The  Community's  culture  programmes  have  been  very  productive.  The  present 
Culture  Programme  (2007-2013)3  will  go  further 
in  facilitating  mutual 
understanding,  stimulating  creativity,  and  contributing  to  the  mutual  enrichment 
of  our  cultures.  It  will  help  thousands  of  cultural  organisations  to  create  and 
the  knowledge  and 
implement  cultural  and  artistic  projects 
dissemination  of  European  cultural  heritage,  promoting  cultural  exchanges, 
artistic  and  literary  creation,  and  literary  translation.  It  will  also  support  bodies 
active  at  European  level  in  the  field  of  culture  and  give  recognition  to  major 
European cultural achievements through European prizes in architecture, cultural 
heritage and music as well as European Capitals of Culture.  

improving 

•  Many  other  programmes  have  a  huge  positive  impact  on  culture  either  through 
specific  cultural  projects,  the  use  of  foreign  languages  which  they  promote,  the 
close link between learning and culture or the personal cultural experiences they 
stimulate:  among  these  programmes  are  "Europe  for  Citizens"  (2007-2013)4, 

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4 

Decision No 1855/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 (OJ L 
372, 27.12.2006). 
Decision No 1904/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 (OJ L 
378, 27.12.2006). 

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which  is  also  based  on  the  culture  article  of  the  Treaty  and  promotes  active 
European  citizenship  as  well  as  programmes  supporting  lifelong  learning 
(including  Erasmus  and  Erasmus  Mundus),  multilingualism  and  exchanges  of 
young people.  

•  In  the  cinema  and  audiovisual  sector,  the  MEDIA  programme5,  in  place  since 
1991,  promotes  the  competitiveness  of  the  European  audiovisual  industry.  It  is 
also  designed  to  promote  intercultural  dialogue,  increase  mutual  awareness 
amongst  European  cultures  and  develop  cultural  potential.  Furthermore,  a 
Recommendation  on  film  heritage  and  the  competitiveness  of  related  industrial 
activities  was  adopted  on  16  November  2005  setting  out  concrete  actions  in  the 
field of film heritage.  

•  A  range  of  other  Community  funding  programmes  make  an 

important 
contribution  to  culture.  Support  offered  by  the  Cohesion  policy  or  rural 
development policy can be instrumental in promoting, for example, the restoration 
of cultural heritage and the promotion of creative industries in view of enhancing 
the  attractiveness  of  regions  or  supporting  the  training  of  cultural  professionals. 
This  is  also  the  case  for  information  society  development  (e.g.  the  Digital 
Libraries Initiative which aims at making Europe's diverse cultural and scientific 
heritage  easier  to  access  online)  or  research  (with  the  Research  Framework 
Programmes).  

A  number  of  Community  policies  also  play  an  important  role  in  shaping  the  regulatory 
framework for the cultural sector. 

For the Community’s action under Article 151(4) of the Treaty, the challenge is often to strike 
the  right  balance  between  different  legitimate  public  policy  objectives,  including  the 
promotion of cultural diversity. 

•  There  is  a  strong  link  between  the  promotion  of  culture  and  creativity  and  EU 
copyright  and  related  rights  legislation.  This  legislation  protects  the  rights  of 
authors,  producers  and  artists  to  ensure  they  receive  adequate  revenue  for  their 
works  while  allowing  a  wide  dissemination  of  protected  works  or  phonograms, 
thereby promoting citizens' access to Europe's rich and diverse cultural heritage.  

•  The  "Television  without  Frontiers"  Directive,  adopted  in  1989,  by  setting  the 
conditions  for  the  transmission  across  borders  of  TV  broadcasts  within  the 
European internal market, has created a legal framework for the free circulation of 
European audiovisual content within the EU. This has contributed significantly to 
the  strengthening  of  media  pluralism  and  cultural  diversity.  In  this  context, 
cultural  diversity  is  also  fostered  through  promotion  measures  for  European  and 
independent productions. 

5 

Decision No 1718/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 (OJ L 
327, 24.11.2006). 

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•  In  state  aid,  following  the  introduction  of  Article  87(3)(d)6  by  the  Maastricht 
Treaty, cultural considerations play a role. Under this provision the Commission 
has in the past approved a wide range of national measures which have benefited 
such diverse areas as museums, national heritage, theatre and music-productions, 
printed cultural media, and the cinematographic and audiovisual sector. 

•  The EU has designated 2008 the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue7 to give 
expression  and  a  high  profile  to  best  practices  and  processes  of  intercultural 
dialogue  aiming  at  establishing  a  sustainable  strategy  beyond  2008.  Particular 
attention will be paid to the multilingual dimension of this dialogue. 

•  Finally,  on 

the  basis  of  existing  Community  funding  programmes, 

the 
Commission wishes to make 2009 a European Year of Creativity and Innovation 
through education and culture in order to raise public awareness, promote policy 
debate  within  Member  States,  and  contribute  to  fostering  creativity,  innovation 
and intercultural competences.  

In recent years, Member States have explored new forms of flexible cooperation in order to 
work together more closely in the pursuit of shared objectives. The Council has agreed on a 
multi-annual  work  plan  for  the  period  2005-20078  and  flexible  forms  of  cooperation  on 
specific  topics,  such  as  the  mobility  of  museum  collections,  have  developed.  Regular 
ministerial conferences have also contributed to exchanges of best practices and dialogue on 
policies.  

The European Parliament has regularly called for strengthened cooperation in its reports and 
recommendations9.  Furthermore,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the 
Committee of the Regions have underlined the role of organised civil society and of local and 
regional authorities. 

These experiences, combined with the results of the broad consultation processes undertaken 
in preparing this Communication, have led the Commission to the conclusion that the time is 
now  ripe  to  develop  a  common  cultural  agenda  and  new  partnerships  and  methods  for 
cooperation with Member States, civil society and third countries. 

2.2. EU's external relations 

Culture  is  recognized  as  an  important  part  of  the  EU’s  main  cooperation  programmes  and 
instruments10,  and  in  the  Union’s  bilateral  agreements  with  third  countries.  It  is  also  a  key 
element  of  the  co-operation  developed  with  the  Council  of  Europe,  which  has  allowed  the 
joint implementation of the European Heritage Days as well as some actions in the Western 
Balkans. 

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‘Aid to promote culture and heritage conservation where such aid does not affect trading conditions and 
competition in the Community to an extent that is contrary to the common interest, may be considered 
to be compatible with the common market’. 
Decision No 1983/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 (OJ L 
412, 30.12.2006). 
Conclusions of the 2616th Council meeting Education, Youth and Culture, 15-16 November 2004. 
Ref. Report on cultural cooperation in the European Union – Giorgio Ruffolo - A5-0281/2001. 
Such as the Cotonou Agreement with the African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the Neighbourhood and 
Partnership Programme with neighbouring countries and Russia, and the Development and Cooperation 
instrument concerning Asia and Central and Latin America. 

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A wide variety of cultural projects and programmes have been implemented for many years as 
part  of  the  Union’s  financial  and  technical  assistance  across  all  developing  regions  of  the 
world.  These  cultural  actions  target  the  preservation  and  restoration  of  heritage  sites,  the 
production and circulation of works of art, the creation or restoration of museums, the local 
capacity-building  of  cultural  operators  and  artists  and  the  organisation  of  major  cultural 
events.  The  Commission  also  runs  funds  and  actions  to  support  the  emergence  and 
strengthening of cultural industries, in particular the cinema and audiovisual sector, in partner 
countries, as well as promote local access to culture and cultural diversity in third countries. 

In  close  connection  with  this,  the  Union  has  increasingly  focused  on  promoting  support  for 
human  rights,  including  the  protection  and  promotion  of  cultural  rights,  the  rights  of 
indigenous  peoples  as  well  as  the  rights  of  persons  belonging  to  minorities  and  socially 
marginalized people.  

Intercultural  dialogue  as  one  of  the  main  instruments  of  peace  and  conflict  prevention  is 
obviously among the basic objectives of such actions. Priority actions in that direction were 
launched  under  the  impetus  of  a  consultative  group  set  up  by  the  Commission’s  President, 
which  also  led  inter  alia  to  the  setting-up,  in  Alexandria,  of  the  Anna  Lindh  Euro-
Mediterranean  Foundation  for  the  Dialogue  between  Cultures,  and  the  creation  of  specific 
debate on culture within the political dialogues with many third countries. 

The Commission has also recently begun to reinforce its public diplomacy, including cultural 
events,  often  involving  cooperation  with  and  among  Member  States’  cultural  institutions  to 
convey important messages in third countries about Europe, its identity and its experience of 
building bridges between different cultures.  

On a more general level, the Commission has tabled multi-annual thematic programmes under 
the  financial  perspectives  2007-2013  in  order  to  finance  Community  interventions  in 
developing  countries  and  regions,  on  the  one  hand,  and  at  international  level,  on  the  other 
hand.  The  thematic  programmes  "Investing  in  People"  and  "Non-state  Actors  and  Local 
Authorities  in  Development"  are  available  to  complement  geographical  cooperation  through 
the  country  strategy  papers  in  the  field  of  culture.  Recent  opinion  polls  clearly  show  that, 
under the pressure of globalization, the great majority of Europe’s citizens – led by the Heads 
of State and Government in June 200611 - want Europe to be more present in the world, with 
an  external  policy  which  well  reflects  its  values.  Culture  is  of  course  central  to  this 
multilateral, consensus-building approach.  

The rapid entry into force of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the 
Diversity of Cultural Expressions illustrates the new role of cultural diversity at international 
level:  as  parties,  the  Community  and  its  Member  States  have  committed  themselves  to 
strengthen  a  new  cultural  pillar  of  global  governance  and  sustainable  development,  notably 
through enhancing international cooperation.  

3. 

OBJECTIVES FOR A EUROPEAN AGENDA FOR CULTURE 

The  extensive  consultation  process  carried  out  in  2006  has  enabled  the  Commission  to 
identify  a  strong  consensus  for  a  new  EU  agenda  for  culture,  so  as  to  build  on  past 

11 

When  the  European  Council  approved  the  Commission’s  proposal  ‘Europe  in  the  World  –  Some 
Practical Proposals for Greater Coherence, Effectiveness and Visibility’ – COM(2006) 278. 

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achievements and reinforce on-going activities. This would be built on three interrelated sets 
of objectives: 

•  promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue; 

•  promotion  of  culture  as  a  catalyst  for  creativity  in  the  framework  of  the  Lisbon 

Strategy for growth and jobs; 

•  promotion of culture as a vital element in the Union's international relations. 

These  objectives  would  guide  EU  action  in  the  future.  Each  actor  would  be  called  upon  to 
contribute, in full respect of the principle of subsidiarity: 

•  for the Member States and their regions, this would mean further developing their 
policies in these areas with reference to common objectives and an endeavour to 
steer  joint  activities  inter  alia  through  an  open  method  of  coordination  and 
exploring opportunities offered by EU funding; 

•  for stakeholders in the field of culture, such as professional organisations, cultural 
institutions,  non-governmental  organisations,  European  networks,  foundations, 
etc.,  this  would  mean  a  close  engagement  in  dialogue  with  EU  institutions  and 
support  for  the  development  of  new  EU  policies  and  actions,  as  well  as 
developing dialogue among themselves;  

•  for the Commission, this would mean mobilising its internal and external policies, 
Community  funding  programmes,  as  well  as  a  renewed  role  of  animation, 
exchange of good practice and dialogue with the full range of actors; 

•  for all actors, this would mean a renewed sense of partnership and ownership of 

EU action to achieve these objectives. 

The following section explains each of these broad objectives in greater detail. 

3.1. Cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue  

"It is art that can structure the personalities of young people with a view to open their minds, 
to instil the respect of others and the desire of peace." Yehudi Menuhin 

The flowering of the cultures of the Member States in respect of their national and regional 
diversity is an important EU objective assigned by the EC Treaty. In order to simultaneously 
bring our common heritage to the fore and recognise the contribution of all cultures present in 
our societies, cultural diversity needs to be nurtured in a context of openness and exchanges 
between  different  cultures.  As  we  live  in  increasingly  multicultural  societies,  we  need 
therefore  to  promote  intercultural  dialogue  and  intercultural  competences.  These  are  also 
essential  in  the  context  of  a  global  economy  with  regard  to  enhancing  the  employability, 
adaptability and mobility of artists and workers in the cultural sector as well as the mobility of 
works of art. As citizens are among the main beneficiaries of developing cultural diversity, we 
need to facilitate their access to culture and cultural works. 

The following specific objectives should be addressed: 

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•  Promote  the  mobility  of  artists  and  professionals  in  the  cultural  field  and  the 

circulation of all artistic expressions beyond national borders: 

– 

– 

– 

mobilise  public  and  private  resources  in  favour  of  the  mobility  of  artists  and 
workers in the cultural sector within the EU; 

promote the mobility of works of art and other artistic expressions; 

improve  European  coordination  for  aspects  affecting  mobility  of  cultural 
workers  within  the  EU  in  order  to  take  into  account  the  needs  resulting  from 
short term and frequent mobility between Member States.  

•  Promote  and  strengthen  intercultural  competences  and  intercultural  dialogue,  in 
particular  by  developing  'cultural  awareness  and  expression',  'social  and  civic 
competences' and 'communication in foreign languages', which are part of the key 
competences  for  lifelong  learning  identified  by  the  European  Parliament  and 
Council in 200612.  

3.2.  Culture  as  a  catalyst  for  creativity  in  the  framework  of  the  Lisbon  Strategy  for  growth 
and jobs  

"Intelligence is programmed for the creation of differences." Francesco Alberoni 

Cultural  industries  and  the  creative  sector  are  substantially  contributing  to  European  GDP, 
growth  and  employment.  As  an  illustration,  a  recent  independent  study  carried  out  for  the 
Commission estimated that more than 5 million people worked in 2004 for the cultural sector, 
equivalent  to  3.1%  of  total  employed  population  in  EU-25.  The  cultural  sector  contributed 
around  2.6%  to  the  EU  GDP  in  2003,  with  growth  significantly  higher  than  that  of  the 
economy in general between 1999 and 200313. These industries and the creativity which they 
generate  are  an  essential  asset  for  Europe's  economy  and  competitiveness  in  a  context  of 
globalisation. 

The role of culture in supporting and fostering creativity and innovation must be explored and 
promoted.  Creativity  is  the  basis  for  social  and  technological  innovation,  and  therefore  an 
important driver of growth, competitiveness and jobs in the EU.  

The following specific objectives should be addressed: 

•  Promote creativity in education by involving the cultural sector in building on the 
potential  of  culture  as  a  concrete  input/tool  for  life-long  learning  and  promoting 
culture and arts in informal and formal education (including language learning). 

•  Promote capacity building in the cultural sector by supporting the training of the 
cultural  sector  in  managerial  competences,  entrepreneurship,  knowledge  of  the 
European  dimension/market  activities  and  developing  innovative  sources  of 
funding, including sponsorship, and improved access to them. 

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Recommendation 2006/962/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on 
key competences for lifelong learning (OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 10). 
See  study  on  the  Economy  of  Culture  in  Europe,  conducted  by  KEA  for  the  European  Commission, 
2006, at http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/sources_info/studies/studies_en.html. 

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•  Develop creative partnerships between the cultural sector and other sectors (ICTs, 
research, tourism, social partners, etc) to reinforce the social and economic impact 
of investments in culture and creativity, in particular with regard to the promotion 
of growth and jobs and the development and attractiveness of regions and cities.  

3.3. Culture as a vital element in international relations 

"Any culture is born in mixing, in interaction, in confrontation. Conversely, it is in isolation 
that civilization dies." Octavio Paz 

As parties to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity 
of  Cultural  Expressions,  the  Community  and  the  Member  States  have  reaffirmed  their 
commitment to developing a new and more pro-active cultural role for Europe in the context 
of Europe's international relations and to integrating the cultural dimension as a vital element 
in  Europe's  dealings  with  partner  countries  and  regions.  This  should  help  promoting 
knowledge of and understanding for Europe's cultures throughout the world. 

To  achieve  this  integration  it  is  crucial  to  develop  active  inter-cultural  dialogue  with  all 
countries and all regions, taking advantage for example of Europe's language links with many 
countries. In this context, it is also important to promote the richness of cultural diversity of 
our  partners,  to  serve  local  identities,  to  promote  access  to  culture  of  local  populations  and 
develop  an  economic  resource  which  can  have  a  direct  impact  on  socio-economic 
development. 

Bearing that in mind, the EU will follow a 'twin-track' approach, consisting of: 

•  the systematic integration of the cultural dimension and  different components of 
culture in all external and development policies, projects and programmes - as a 
means of strengthening the quality of its diplomatic efforts, and the viability and 
sustainability of all EU cooperation activities; and 

•  support for specific cultural actions and events – Culture is a resource in its own 
right,  and  access  to  culture  should  be  considered  as  a  priority  in  development 
policies. 

The following specific objectives should be addressed: 

•  to further develop political dialogue with all countries and regions in the field of 
culture  and  promote  cultural  exchanges  between  the  EU  and  third  countries  and 
regions; 

•  to promote market access, both to European and other markets, for cultural goods 
and  services  from  developing  countries  through  targeted  actions  as  well  as 
through  agreements  that  grant  preferential  treatment  or  trade-related  assistance 
measures; 

•  to  use  its  external  and  development  policies  to  protect  and  promote  cultural 
diversity  through  financial  and  technical  support  for,  on  the  one  hand,  the 
preservation  of  and  access  to  cultural  heritage  and,  on  the  other,  the  active 
encouragement and promotion of cultural activities across the world; 

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•  to  ensure  that  all  its  cooperation  programmes  and  projects  take  full  account,  in 
their design and their implementation, of local culture and contribute to increase 
people’s  access  to  culture  and  to  the  means  of  cultural  expression,  including 
people-to-people contacts. Especially important is education, including advocacy 
for  the  integration  of  culture  in  education  curricula  at  all  levels  in  developing 
countries; 

• 

to  promote  the  active  involvement  of  the  EU  in  the  work  of  international 
organisations  dealing  with  culture,  and  in  the  United  Nations  ‘Alliance  of 
Civilisations’ process. 

4. 

NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND WORKING METHODS 

In order to deliver its agenda for culture, Europe must rely on a solid partnership between all 
actors, which has four essential dimensions.  

4.1. Further developing dialogue with the cultural sector 

The Commission is committed to pursuing a structured dialogue with the sector, which would 
provide  a  framework  for  the  regular  exchange  of  views  and  best  practices,  input  into  the 
policy-making process, follow-up and evaluation. 

For  reasons  of  legitimacy,  the  cultural  sector  should  continue  organising  itself  as  far  as 
possible in order to permit the identification of representative interlocutors. The Commission 
welcomes  the  progressive  structuring  already  taking  place  with  the  emergence  of  some 
representative  organisations  as  well  as  some  cooperation  structures  such  as  a  civil  society 
platform on intercultural dialogue.  

The  Commission  recognises,  however,  the  special  characteristics  of  the  sector,  notably  its 
heterogeneity  (professional  organisations,  cultural  institutions  with  different  degrees  of 
independence, non-governmental organisations, European and non EU networks, foundations, 
etc), as well as the lack of communication in the past between the cultural industries and other 
cultural actors, and the challenges which this poses with regard to greater structuring of the 
sector. The effect of this has been to diminish the voice of the cultural sector at the European 
level.  

With  a  view  to  developing  a  better  dialogue  between  the  Commission  and  these  different 
actors, the Commission proposes the following steps: 

•  to undertake a mapping of the sector in order to identify and better understand the 

full range of its stakeholders; 

•  to  set  up  a  "Cultural  Forum"  for  consulting  stakeholders  and  to  foster  the 

emergence of a self-structuring platform or a set of stakeholder platforms;  

•  to  encourage  the  expression  of  representative  views  by  individual  artists  and 
intellectuals  at  the  European  level  (“cultural  ambassadors”),  including  exploring 
the opportunity and feasibility of an on-line virtual European forum allowing for 
the exchange of views, artistic expression and reaching out to citizens;  

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•  to  encourage  social  partners  in  the  cultural  sectors  to  further  develop  their 
autonomous  social  dialogue  under  Articles  138  and  139  of  the  Treaty.  On  this 
basis,  sectoral  social  dialogue  committees  already  exist  for  the  live  performing 
arts and the audiovisual sector; 

•  to  bring  a  cultural  dimension  to  European  public  debates  by  using  the 
representations  of  the  Commission.  Putting  culture  at  the  centre  stage  will 
enhance dialogue and reach out to new audiences. 

4.2. Setting up an open method of coordination 

As mentioned earlier, the Member States adopted a joint work plan in the Council for 2005-
2007. The work plan now needs to be renewed and the Commission believes that the time is 
ripe for Member States to take their cooperation one step further, by using the open method of 
coordination (OMC) as a mechanism to do so, in a spirit of partnership. 

The OMC offers an appropriate framework for cooperation in the field of culture between the 
Member  States.  It  is  a  non-binding,  intergovernmental  framework  for  policy  exchange  and 
concerted  action  suitable  for  a  field  such  as  this,  where  competence  remains  very  much  at 
Member  State  level.  It  consists  of  agreeing  common  objectives,  regularly  following  up 
progress  towards  them  and  exchanging  best  practice  and  relevant  data  in  order  to  foster 
mutual learning.  

OMC exist in the fields of employment, social protection, education and youth. The OMC in 
these areas have helped to strengthen Member States' policy making, as regular participation 
in a European process raises the profile of these policies at the national level and creates an 
additional stimulus for them. It also enables Member States to learn from one another. And it 
allows the actors in these policy fields to have a voice at the European level which they would 
not otherwise have. 

It  is  essential,  however,  for  the  special  features  of  the  cultural  sector  to  be  fully  taken  into 
account in the design of an OMC in this area. In a spirit of partnership with Member States, 
this  implies  adopting  a  flexible  approach,  entailing  the  setting  of  general  objectives  with  a 
light regular reporting system. 

The  Commission  proposes  that  acting  on  the  basis  of  this  Communication,  the  Council  of 
Ministers  endorses  the  objectives  suggested  above,  setting  priorities  and  agreeing  on  a 
biennial  follow-up  exercise.  As  part  of  this  exercise,  the  Commission  would  draft  a  joint 
report  with  high  level  representatives  of  Member  States  every  two  years  summarising  main 
issues and trends and discussing progress across Member States with regard to the common 
objectives.  

Member  States  would  be  encouraged  to  fully  associate  local  and  regional  authorities  and 
national cultural stakeholders in the follow-up process and to describe in their national reports 
how they have been involved. At EU level, the Commission would involve stakeholders in the 
process through the Cultural Forum indicated above. In the year preceding the publication of 
the  report,  the  Commission  would  organise  a  meeting  in  order  to  gather  inputs  from  civil 
society. 

The European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee 
of the Regions should be involved in the process. 

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In pursuing the objectives of external relations, the relevant external EU framework, including 
the  Foreign  Affairs  Ministers,  would  be  involved  as  appropriate.  The  Commission  would 
seek,  together  with  the  Member  States,  to  increase  EU-wide  coordination  of  activities 
regarding  cultural  cooperation.  This  would  include  the  identification  and  exchange  of  best 
practices. The preparation of Country Strategy Papers and Joint Assistance Strategies would 
continue to be a focus for enhanced coordination and harmonisation efforts. 

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4.3. Supporting evidence-based policy-making 

The Commission will play a supporting and coordinating role, where appropriate, in relation 
to each of the above objectives and the proposed OMC.  

The  pursuit  of  the  above  objectives  implies  improving  understanding  of  the  contribution  of 
the  cultural  sector  to  the  Lisbon  agenda  in  order  to  facilitate  evidence-based  policy.  It 
involves  sharing  existing  data,  case  studies,  cooperation  on  evaluation  and  impact  analysis 
methodologies. However it also requires reviewing and, where necessary, improving national 
statistical information and ensuring better comparability of national statistics, coordinated by 
Eurostat.  

In this context, the Commission will launch a series of studies and inter-service cooperation, 
to  support  the  proposed  objectives  and  evidence-based  policy-making  and  actions.  It  will 
stimulate  the  networking  of  actors  involved  in  impact  assessment  and  cultural  policy 
evaluation at European, national, regional or local level. 

4.4. Mainstreaming culture in all relevant policies 

Article 151(4) of the EC Treaty calls on the Community to take cultural aspects into account 
in  its  action  under  the  other  provisions  of  the  Treaty,  in  particular  in  order  to  respect  and 
promote the diversity of its cultures. 

To  better  serve  this  task,  the  Commission  shall  strengthen  its  internal  inter-service 
coordination  and  deepen  its  analysis  of  the  interface  between  cultural  diversity  and  other 
Community  policies  in  order  to  strike  the  right  balance  between  different  legitimate  public 
policy  objectives,  including  the  promotion  of  cultural  diversity,  when  making  decisions  or 
proposals  of  a  regulatory  or  financial  nature.  For  example,  the  Commission  has  recently 
created a new inter-service group to this effect. 

With regard to the external dimension, particular attention is paid to multi- and intercultural 
and  inter-religious  dialogue,  promoting  understanding  between  the  EU  and  international 
partners  and  reaching  out  increasingly  to  a  broader  audience  in  partner  countries.  In  this 
context,  education  and  particularly  human  rights  education  play  a  significant  role.  The  new 
Erasmus Mundus programme will contribute to this. The Commission supports dialogue and 
culture-related activities in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), the 
"Investing  in  People"  programme,  institutions  such  as  the  Anna  Lindh  Foundation  in  the 
Euro-Mediterranean  region,  as  well  as  within  the  UN  Alliance  of  Civilisations.  With  some 
partner  countries  in  the  ENP  region,  in  Asia  and  elsewhere,  specific  cultural  cooperation 
programmes  are  established  (like  the  Culture  Fund  for  India).  These  activities  are  of  an 
interdependent nature. 

In  order  to  efficiently  support  cultural  specific  actions  in  ACP  countries,  the  European 
Commission is proposing to create a EU-ACP Cultural Fund as a joint European contribution 
to supporting the distribution and in some cases the production of ACP cultural goods. This 
Fund  will  encourage  the  emergence  of  local  markets  and  industries,  thus  facilitating  and 
encouraging  the  access  of  local  people  to  culture  and  to  the  various  means  of  cultural 
expression,  and  will  also  increase  the  access  of  ACP  cultural  goods  to  European  markets 
through a better access to distribution networks and platforms in the EU. 

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The 10th European Development Fund will provide a start-up for funding this Fund that will 
be complemented by EU Member States contributions. 

5. 

CONCLUSION 

"Culture is not a luxury, but a necessity." Gao Xingjian 

The Commission considers that the time is ripe for a new European agenda for culture, which 
takes account of the realities of today's globalizing world. 

This  Communication  puts  forward  concrete  proposals  both  with  regard  to  a  set  of  shared 
objectives and new methods for stepping up cultural cooperation in the EU. 

The  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  and  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee are invited to react to this Communication. 

The Council is invited to take the appropriate steps to decide on a set of shared objectives and 
on an appropriate reporting process within the proposed open method of coordination, and the 
European Council to endorse them in its conclusions. 

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