COMMISSION REPORT TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the implementation of the European Agenda for Culture
Date: 2010-07-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU action, EU programme, cultural cooperation, cultural policy, cultural transmission

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 19.7.2010 
COM(2010)390 final 

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

on the implementation of the European Agenda for Culture 

SEC(2010)904 

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

on the implementation of the European Agenda for Culture 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Culture  lies  at  the  heart  of  the  European  project  and  is  the  anchor  on  which  the  European 
Union's "unity in diversity" is founded. The combination of respect for cultural diversity and 
the ability to unite around shared values has guaranteed the peace, prosperity and  solidarity 
the  EU  enjoys.  In  today's  globalising  world,  culture  can  make  a  unique  contribution  to  a 
European  Strategy  for  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth,  promoting  stability,  mutual 
understanding and cooperation worldwide.  

The  adoption  of  the  European  Agenda  for  Culture1  in  2007  opened  a  new  chapter  of 
cooperation  on  culture  policy  at  European  level.  For  the  first  time,  all  partners  –  European 
institutions,  Member  States  and  culture  civil  society  –  were  invited  to  pool  their  efforts  on 
explicitly defined shared goals, which were endorsed by the Council2: 

- promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue 

- promotion of culture as a catalyst for creativity 

- promotion of culture as a vital element in the EU's international relations 

In order to support cooperation, the Agenda also introduced working methods new to the field 
of culture: 

-  an  Open  Method  of  Coordination  (OMC)  for  closer  Member  State  cooperation  on  the 
priorities identified in the Council Workplan for Culture 2008-20103, 

- a more structured dialogue with civil society in the field of culture through various platforms 
for discussion and exchange. 

Purpose of this report 

This report examines progress at European and national levels towards the three objectives of 
the  Agenda  and  assesses  first  experiences  of  the  new  working  methods,  drawing  upon  the 
national  reports  submitted  by  Member  States  and  the  work  of  the  OMC  groups4  and 

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4 

http://eurlex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!DocNumber&lg=en& 
type_doc=COMfina&an_doc=2007&nu_doc=0242&model=guicheti 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32007G1129(01):EN:NOT  
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:42008X0610(01):EN:NOT 
Final reports of OMC groups: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc1565_en.htm 

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platforms5. In the light of this analysis, the Commission has drawn the conclusions presented 
in sections 3.1.2 and 3.2.2. 

Progress  in  making  sure  that  culture  aspects  are  properly  taken  into  account  in  relevant  EU 
policies  ("mainstreaming")  is  highlighted  above  all  in  the  Staff  Working  Paper  which 
accompanies this report. 

2. 

PROGRESS TOWARDS THE AGENDA OBJECTIVES  

2.1. 

Agenda objective 1: Promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue 

Progress can be highlighted in many areas. 

The 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue6 focused on both awareness-raising and 
on developing the policy debate on intercultural dialogue. New policies and structures are a 
legacy of the Year in a number of Member States, while at EU level political agreement was 
reached  on  the  need  to  promote  intercultural  competences7  and  on  the  role  of  intercultural 
dialogue in external relations8. The Platform for Intercultural Europe published, and continues 
to promote, the "Rainbow Paper" of civil society recommendations.  

through 

improved 

Improving the conditions for the mobility of artists and other culture professionals has been 
tackled both by an OMC group focusing on obstacles to mobility and how to tackle them, for 
example 
intermediary 
information  systems,  and  on 
organisations, and through an ongoing 3 million euro dedicated pilot project, which develops 
and  tests  new  ideas  on  mobility  support9..  The  Commission  is  also  conducting  a  broader 
exercise aimed at tackling all obstacles European citizens encounter when they exercise their 
rights  as  Union  citizens  in  all  aspects  of  their  daily  lives,  and  will  issue  a  Report  on 
Citizenship later this year. 

the  role  of 

Denmark's  new  DIVA  artist-in-residence  programme  supports  incoming  artists  in  the  visual 
arts, music, literature and performing arts. A programme for Danish artists wishing to work 
abroad  is  in  the  pipeline.  The  new  Czech  programme  for  creative  or  study  efforts  supports 
mobility for the purpose of new creations. 

The OMC group on mobility of collections has made a thorough comparison of practices in 
several  fields,  including  incentives  and  obstacles  to  lending.  A  Commission  study  on  the 
prevention and fight against illicit trafficking of cultural goods is underway. A pilot project to 
explore the development of a cultural heritage alert network has been launched in 2010 by the 
European Parliament. 

The  Netherlands  runs  an  awareness  raising  campaign  against  illicit  trafficking  of  cultural 
goods,  tailored  for  four  target  groups:  the  art  trade,  the  general  public,  heritage  institutions 
and  law  enforcement  agencies.  A  government  programme  in  Cyprus  supports  transfer  and 
exhibition costs for both incoming and outgoing works of art. 

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Platform recommendations : http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc1199_en.htm 
See http://ec.europa.eu/culture/key-documents/doc539_en.htm 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:141:0014:0016:EN:PDF 
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc/ICD_external_relations_en.doc.pdf 
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc417_en.htm 

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Synergies between education and culture have been the focus of one OMC group and a topic 
for the Platform on Access to Culture. At European level, policy conclusions on promoting a 
creative generation10 recognise that cultural expression and access to culture have a vital role 
in developing the creativity of children and young people. 

Slovenia  adopted  National  Guidelines  for  Culture  and  Arts  Education.  Sweden's  Creative 
Schools initiative to promote collaboration between schools and the cultural sector has been 
taken  up  by  97%  of  municipalities.  The  education  directorate  of  each  Greek  municipality 
includes the post of Head of Cultural Affairs with the remit of reinforcing education-culture 
links.  Belgium's  (Flemish  Community)  "Dynamo3"  programme  encourages  schools  to 
develop a long-term vision on arts and culture education. 

The  Commission's  2008  Communication  on  "Multilingualism:  an  asset  for  Europe  and  a 
shared commitment", set out what needs to be done to turn linguistic diversity into an asset 
for solidarity and prosperity. Two structured dialogue platforms involving business and civil 
society have since been created. 

In  the  broad  field  of  access  to  culture,  digitisation  has  also  been  an  area  of  progress. 
Europeana  was  launched  in  2008.  The  Commission  has  announced  new  measures  for 
promoting  digitisation  and  on  line  accessibility  of  cultural  heritage  in  the  framework  of  the 
Digital Agenda for Europe. 

Estonia's Digital Cultural Heritage Strategy 2007-2010 includes a range of e-services to make 
heritage  more  accessible,  including  cooperation  between  the  national  archives,  the  national 
library, public broadcasting and museums. 

Regarding  media  literacy,  understood  as  the  ability  to  access  and  critically  evaluate  media 
contents,  a  2009  Commission  Recommendation  calls  for  Member  States  and  the  media 
industry to increase people's awareness of the many forms of media messages they encounter. 
Follow-up work is underway through the MEDIA 2007 programme and MEDIA International 
preparatory action. 

Portugal  has  introduced  a  copyright  literacy  programme  for  schools,  aiming  to  reinforce 
young  people's  understanding  of  the  value  of  creation  and  cultural  diversity.  Slovakia  has 
adopted a media education concept prepared in cooperation with civil society, education and 
media institutions. 

Also with a view to promoting access to culture, the Commission has proposed a European 
Heritage  Label11  to  build  on  the  current  intergovernmental  initiative.  The  Label  would 
highlight sites  that celebrate  and  symbolise European integration, ideals  and history.  Award 
would be based on criteria including the educational dimension of sites, especially for young 
people.  

2.2. 

Agenda objective 2: Promoting culture as a catalyst for creativity 

Cooperation  has  focused  on  cultural  and  creative  industries  (CCIs)  and  the  contribution  of 
strategic  investment  in  culture  to  regional  and  local  development.  At  both  European  and 
national  levels,  the  potential  of  culture  to  foster  creativity  and  innovation,  and  so  to 

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http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:301:0009:0011:EN:PDF 
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc2519_en.htm 

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contribute to an environment favourable to growth and jobs, is increasingly in the spotlight, as 
confirmed by Council Conclusions on Culture as a Catalyst for Creativity and Innovation12.  

Poland's "Culture Counts!" campaign highlights the role of culture both in the economy and in 
broader  society.  Italy's  2009  White  Paper  on  Creativity  explores  a  model  of  creativity  and 
cultural production and proposes actions to boost creativity. 

The  2009  European  Year  of  Creativity  and  Innovation  also  explored  the  ways  in  which 
culture generates both economic and social innovation. The Manifesto of the Ambassadors of 
the Year13 emphasises the creativity which can be generated by building bridges between art, 
philosophy, science and business.  

Several studies conducted on behalf of the Commission fed into the debate, notably the 2009 
study on the impact of culture on creativity, the 2010 study on entrepreneurship in CCIs and 
the thematic report by Eurydice on Arts and Cultural Education at School in Europe.  

CCIs have been a particular focus of attention, culminating at EU level with the publication 
in April 2010 of a Green Paper on how to create an environment in which this sector can fulfil 
its potential to contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The Green Paper draws 
strongly on the work of both the OMC group and platform on CCIs to frame a consultation on 
issues such as access to finance, the skills needs of creative entrepreneurship, and innovative 
partnerships with other economic sectors14. 

In  October  2009,  a  reflection  paper  on  the  challenge  of  creating  a  European  Digital  Single 
Market for creative content like books, music, films or video games was published, analysing 
the obstacles to the free circulation of creative content on the Internet and launching a public 
consultation on some possible measures to create a genuine Single Market. 

The  2008  Creative  Britain  Strategy  addresses  the  key  issues  for  government  intervention  in 
the  creative  industries:  skills  and  talent,  innovation,  intellectual  property  and  supporting 
creative  businesses.  Lithuania's  new  Strategy  for  the  Development  of  Creative  Industries 
includes  support  for  the  national  network  of  Creative  Industries  Incubators.  Finland's 
Development  Strategy  for  the  Creative  Economy  addresses  employment,  entrepreneurship 
and product development in the creative industries sector. 

The  contribution  of  culture  to  local  and  regional  development  is  also  increasingly 
recognised. 6 billion euros of cohesion funding have been allocated to culture for 2007-2013 
covering  protection  and  preservation  of  cultural  heritage,  development  of  cultural 
infrastructure,  and support for cultural services. Further funding is allocated under headings 
such  as  tourism,  urban  regeneration,  SME  promotion  and  information  society.  A  study 
explores  the  contribution  of  culture  to  local  and  regional  development  and  will  include  a 
practical tool for policy makers at regional and local levels and cultural operators. Preparation 
of the future cohesion policy, to run from 2014, should draw lessons from projects and studies 
to design instruments which release the full potential of the cultural sphere, and particularly 
that  of  the  creative  industries.  Cultural  and  creative  sectors  should  be  mainstreamed  in 
integrated  regional  or  city  development  strategies,  in  partnership  between  public  authorities 
representing different policy areas and relevant civil society representatives. 

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http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc/CONS_NATIVE_CS_2009_08749_1_EN.pdf 
http://www.create2009.europa.eu/about_the_year/manifesto.html 
See also Amsterdam Declaration at http://85.92.129.90/~workshop/ 

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Ireland's Cultural Tourism Initiative was launched in 2009 to improve collaboration between 
arts, culture and tourism spheres. The Romanian Ministry of Culture's new specialist unit on 
cultural tourism is promoting interservice cooperation to exploit the full potential of tangible 
and intangible heritage. 

Developing methodologies for producing harmonised cultural statistics has proven to be a 
challenge  to  address  through  the  OMC  process.  Since  September  2009,  Eurostat  supports  a 
network  of  national  statistical  services  cooperating  together.  Over  two  years  this  network, 
coordinated  by  the  Ministry  of  Culture  of  Luxembourg,  will  tackle  the  methodological 
framework of cultural statistics; CCIs; public and private expenditure on culture; and cultural 
participation and the social impact of culture.  

2.3. 

Agenda  objective  3:  Promoting  culture  as  a  vital  element  in  the  EU's 
international relations 

As Party to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of 
Cultural  Expressions15,  the  EU  is  committed  to  integrating  the  cultural  dimension  as  an 
element in its relations with partner countries and regions.  

Since the adoption of the Agenda, a new strategic framework for culture in the EU's external 
relations  has  emerged.  Culture  is  increasingly  perceived  as  a  strategic  factor  of  political, 
social  and  economic  development.  New  initiatives  have  mobilised  increased  financial 
resources;  since  2007  more  than  100  million  euro  have  been  earmarked  for  culture  in  third 
countries and regional cooperation. 

EU support for culture cooperation in the region covered by the European Neighbourhood 
Policy has been significantly reinforced. The Special Action of the EU Culture Programme is 
dedicated to this region in 2009 and 2010, with a new initiative for regional and inter-regional 
cooperation due to be launched in 2011. 

In the context of the Union for the Mediterranean, preparation of a new Euromed strategy 
on culture is underway. The Commission has carried out a needs assessment and consultation 
process;  an  ad  hoc  working  group  nominated  by  the  partners  will  elaborate  the  strategy  to 
propose to Ministers.  

In the enlargement countries, the major effort made on the rehabilitation of cultural heritage 
has been complemented by a focus on independent organisations through a dedicated call of 
the IPA civil society facility. Culture is also an axis of policy dialogue and cooperation in the 
new Eastern Partnership, launched in 2009. The Eastern Partnership Culture Programme, to 
be  launched  in  2010,  aims  to  strengthen  the  capacity  of  cultural  operators,  foster  regional 
links and contribute to the development of inclusive cultural polices in partner countries.  

Slovenia hosted in 2008 the conference during which the Ljubljana process-funding heritage 
rehabilitation in south-east Europe has been launched. 

The role culture plays in development policies is also increasingly recognised. In 2009, the 
Commission  launched  a  process  to  enhance  the  role  of  culture  in  development,  founded  on 
joint  efforts  by  all  stakeholders.  A  committee  of  ACP  and  EU  professionals  has  been 

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More than 110 ratifications by April 2010  

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established  to  monitor  progress  and  input  to  the  formulation  of  the  10th  EDF  intra-ACP 
Culture Programme16. 

Spain's  2007  Culture  and  Development  Strategy  is  founded  on  the  principles  of  the  Unesco 
Convention. 

In  the  field  of  trade  relations,  the  EU  has  continued  to  take  into  account  the  specific  dual 
(economic/cultural) nature of the audiovisual sector as vector for communicating identity and 
values  in  relevant  bilateral  and  multilateral  negotiations.  At  the  same  time,  in  line  with  the 
UNESCO  Convention,  the  need  to  ensure  preferential  treatment  for  developing  countries  in 
the  field  of  cultural  expressions  as  a  way  to  foster  more  balanced  exchanges  has  been 
recognised  by  the  signature  of  a  Protocol  on  Cultural  Cooperation  in  the  framework  of  the 
Economic Partnership agreement with the Cariforum countries17. 

New  cinema  coproduction  agreements  between  France  and  partner  countries  include  a 
reference to the Unesco Convention as a matter of course. 

Another step forward  has  been through bilateral partnerships with developed or  emerging 
partner  countries.  A  high-level  seminar  "Russia-EU:  signs  on  the  road  map  of  cultural 
cooperation" took place in Moscow in 2009, co-organised by the EU and the Russian Ministry 
of Culture. In 2010, a Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture was established. The EU 
strategic partnership with Brazil has a cultural dimension, reflected in the signing of a Joint 
Declaration in 2009 between the European Commission and the Brazilian Ministry of Culture. 
A  strategic  relationship  between  the  EU  and  Mexico  was  officially  established  in  October 
2008.  Policy  dialogue  between  the  European  Commission  and  the  Chinese  Ministry  of 
Culture  was  launched  in  May  2009.  Culture  Programme  Special  Actions  have  supported 
cooperation projects inter alia with China, India and Brazil. 

In the audiovisual field, the preparatory action MEDIA International aims to explore ways 
of  reinforcing  cooperation  between  European  and  third-country  professionals  from  the 
audiovisual industry and encourage a two-way flow of cinematographic / audiovisual works. 
Support will continue under the successor MEDIA Mundus programme, with 15 million euros 
in funding for 2011-2013.  

3. 

WORKING METHODS AND PARTNERSHIPS 

The  Commission  proposed  several  new  working  methods  in  the  Agenda,  notably  the  Open 
Method of Coordination (OMC) and a more structured dialogue with the culture sector .  

3.1. 

The OMC 

3.1.1.  First experiences  

The 2008-2010 Council Workplan on Culture established four expert groups to work together 
through the OMC to exchange experience and make recommendations on the priority themes 
identified in the Workplan: 

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See http://www.culture-dev.eu/pages/en/en_accueil.html  
Differentiated agreements and protocols implementing and promoting the Unesco Convention have also 
been initialled with South Korea and are being finalised with Andean and Central American countries. 

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- CCIs 

- Culture-education synergies 

- Mobility of artists and other culture professionals 

- Mobility of collections 

While the Workplan set objectives for each group, the process of agreeing more specific fields 
proved  challenging  for  the  groups  and,  in  some  cases,  delayed  the  effective  start  of  their 
activities. 

topics,  groups  concentrated  on  sharing  experience 

On  most 
to  develop  policy 
recommendations.  In  some  cases,  the  emphasis  has  been  on  collecting  and  analysing  more 
systematically national practices.  

While  it  is  difficult  to  draw  firm  conclusions  after  just  two  years  of  experience,  both  the 
Commission  and  Member  States  consider  the  OMC  to  be  overall  an  effective  way  of 
cooperating in the field of culture.  

The  OMC  process  has  proven  to  be  a  good  framework  for  networking  and  mutual  learning 
among  national  administrations.  While  all  groups  aimed  at  generating  policy 
recommendations, the main challenge remains to channel them into policy making at EU and 
national level, and articulate the work of the groups with that of Council Presidencies and the 
Commission. 

3.1.2.  Challenges for the future 

OMC cooperation shall focus on issues and outputs which can be taken up by Member States 
and the Commission in their respective fields of competence, leading to progress on the goals 
of the Agenda.  

A closer articulation of the work of OMC groups, the Commission and the Council, notably 
Presidencies, will support this. Presidencies should have clear ownership of priorities, making 
sure that Presidency programmes, and Council work build on OMC outputs.  

Meetings of Directors General of Ministries for Culture have proven to be an effective forum 
for strategic reflection and have the potential to be an important channel for the dissemination 
and uptake of OMC results. A more systematic hosting of a Directors General meeting under 
each  Presidency,  examining  the  outputs  of  one  or  more  OMC  groups,  in  accordance  with 
Presidency priorities, should be envisaged.  

In the light of suggestions by Member States in national reports and by OMC participants, the 
Commission proposes the following ways to reinforce effective cooperation: 

– 

Member States through relevant Council bodies should define both the broad themes 
and the more specific topics to be addressed through OMC groups. A maximum of 4 
or 5 thematic groups is a realistic limit, ensuring that the Commission can effectively 
support the process and that the Council, notably Presidencies, has sufficient capacity 
to  take  up  the  outcomes  of  the  groups'  work.  Within  each  group,  topics  should  be 
tackled  successively  and  articulated  in  a  timeline.  A  four-year  perspective  would 
allow sustainable cooperation, a mid-term review and meaningful thematic progress.  

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– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

The  Council  should  also  define  target  outputs  for  each  topic,  such  as  analytical 
reports,  good  practice  compendia,  or  policy  recommendations,  and  should  identify 
opportunities for dissemination, including Presidency conferences, Directors General 
meetings,  events  organised  by  /  with  culture  sector  Platforms,  and  Commission-
organised seminars. 

Against this background, each group would determine its working methods, ranging 
from  plenary  meetings  in  Brussels  to  peer  learning  activities  organised  by  a  host 
country.  Groups  would,  as  now,  be  chaired  by  one  or  two  presidents,  following 
nomination and agreement by the CAC. 

Well-defined  topics  should  make  it  easier  for  Member  States  to  identify  group 
members with the right profile. The registration exercise can be repeated annually to 
ensure that members have the most suitable profile for the topics to be dealt with that 
year. Some topics may require in-depth content knowledge, others a broader policy 
vision.  Whether  nominating  content  experts  from  academia  or  civil  society  or 
Ministry  officials  (or  both),  a  close  link  with  policy  making  and  effective  support 
from the Ministry is in any event essential. 

The size of OMC groups, with 22 to 27 participating Member States, has proven to 
be  a  mixed  blessing,  and  smaller  sub-groups  have  in  practice  been  the  preferred 
forum  for  discussion.  Active  exchange  and  discussion  remains  the  goal.  This  may 
mean  sharing  practices,  hosting  a  peer  learning  visit,  or  drafting  a  case  study  for 
example. Successively tackling specific topics over a four-year period should make it 
easier for Member  States to identify the  discussions in  which  they  wish  to  actively 
participate. 

The Culture Programme should provide support for the groups, in particular for peer 
learning and dissemination activities.  

Adapted working methods will help promote take-up of OMC results. With clearly identified 
topics, target outputs and dissemination opportunities, Member State cooperation through the 
OMC will take place in a framework with clearer milestones. Closer articulation of the work 
of  OMC  groups,  the  Commission  and  the  Council,  notably  Presidencies,  is  the  overarching 
goal. 

3.2. 

Structured dialogue with the culture sector  

3.2.1.  First experiences 

The Commission remains committed to dialogue with the culture sector, aiming to ensure that 
its voice is clearly heard in policy debate at European level.  

Since  2007,  the  structured  dialogue  between  the  Commission  and  the  sector  is  taking  place 
through two main structures; thematic platforms of European associations and the European 
Culture Forum. 

In  the  run-up  to  the  2008  European  Year  of  Intercultural  Dialogue,  the  sector  formed  the 
"Rainbow Platform", an interface between civil society and the Commission for planning and 
supporting  the  Year.  This  has  since  developed  into  the  Platform  for  Intercultural  Europe. 
Drawing  upon  this  example,  the  Commission  published  an  open  call  for  expressions  of 

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interest in mid-2008 to encourage cultural organisations with a strong European dimension to 
create two further Platforms, on Access to Culture and CCIs. 

Each platform has developed first policy recommendations and presented these to the broader 
sector during the European Culture Forum in 2009.  

One main benefit reported by the Platforms is deeper and broader dialogue within the culture 
sector.  The  structured  dialogue  has  been  an  invitation  to  players  in  the  very  heterogeneous 
culture sector to search for common ground. The sector is better informed of policy processes 
and is more open to engaging with policy. 

But  depending  on  the  roll  out  of  priorities,  the  sector  may  struggle  to  identify  the  most 
relevant  interlocutors  and  policy  initiatives  on  specific  topics.  A  closer  articulation  of  civil 
society  dialogue  with  the  work  of  the  Commission,  OMC  groups  and  Member  States  in 
Council would give a clearer picture of when and where to input recommendations.  

3.2.2.  Challenges for the future 

In  the  light  of  suggestions  by  the  Platforms  and  by  Member  States  in  national  reports,  the 
Commission proposes the following ways to reinforce effective cooperation: 

– 

– 

– 

Thematic Platforms should each "mirror" and be connected to an OMC policy field 
with the goal of concerted reflection and debate on priority themes. The Commission 
will  continue  its  bilateral  contacts  with  Platforms  and  propose  an  annual  meeting 
with Platform Boards. 

The  biennial  European  Culture  Forum  remains  a  major  opportunity  for  dialogue 
between  civil  society  and  policy  makers.  The  2009  Forum  highlighted  progress  on 
mainstreaming  culture  in  related  European  policies  and  attracted  over  1,000 
participants. But smaller-scale events are also needed to provide space for discussing 
specific issues. Future Platform-led discussion and dissemination events should unite 
participants from the sector, the "mirror" OMC group, Member State and European 
policy makers. Alternatives to operating grant funding will be explored; experience 
of  the  pilot  phase  indicates  that  project  grants  may  be  better  suited  to  supporting 
Platform activities. 

In some Member States, a positive development of structured dialogue with culture 
civil  society  has  emerged.  In  Hungary,  the  Cultural  Sectoral  Policy  Council  brings 
together  representatives  of  government,  culture  professionals,  funding  bodies  and 
trade unions. In Romania, a pilot dialogue platform has grown into a department for 
Stakeholder Engagement in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. 

A  more  focused  dialogue  with  culture  civil  society  will  contribute  to  better  articulated 
common  efforts  towards  policy  priorities.  Thematic  platforms  which  "mirror"  the  topics 
addressed  through  the  OMC  will  make  it  easier  for  civil  society  practice  and  knowledge  to 
transfer into policy making.  

4. 

THE WAY FORWARD 

Experience since the Agenda was adopted has clearly shown the potential of cooperation on 
culture  policy  at  European  level,  be  it  through  exchange  of  experience  between  Member 

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States  with  a  view  to  best  practice-based  policy  adaptations,  greater  input  by  culture  civil 
society  into  the  policy  making  process,  or  a  more  coherent  approach  to  culture  in  related 
policies. 

The current broader context makes it all the more important to reinforce cooperation. 

The "Europe 2020" strategy proposed by the Commission aims to put Europe back on a long-
term growth path, with measures to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Within 
this framework, culture can play a fundamental role, including in flagship initiatives such as 
Innovation  Union  (creative  ecologies,  non-technological  innovation),  the  Digital  Agenda 
(media literacy, new environment for creation and access to culture) and New Skills for New 
Jobs  (intercultural  competences  and  transversal  skills).  The  role  of  culture  in  regional  and 
local development should also be emphasised in the framework of cohesion policy (creative 
and  intercultural  cities  and  regions).  Beyond  EU  borders,  the  role  of  culture  in  the 
enlargement  policy  and  external  relations  should  be  further  developed  (branding  Europe  as 
the  place  to  create,  promoting  balanced  cultural  exchanges  and  cooperation  with  the  rest  of 
the world). 

By  reinforcing  effective  cooperation,  the  proposals  presented  in  this  report  are  intended  to 
help  ensure  that  culture  makes  its  full  contribution  to  a  smart,  sustainable  and  inclusive 
Europe. 

5. 

CONCLUSION 

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

The Council is invited to take the appropriate steps to decide on a set of broad thematic issues 
and specific priority topics to be addressed through the OMC.  

The  Commission  proposes  to  report  thematically  on  progress  towards  the  agreed  topics, 
drawing  upon  OMC  outputs,  the  work  of  structured  dialogue  platforms  and  voluntary 
contributions by Member States. 

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