Cultural dimensions of EU external actions European Parliament resolution of 12 May 2011 on the cultural dimensions of the EU’s external actions (2010/2161(INI))
Date: 2011-05-12
Institutions: Committee on Culture and Education, European Parliament
Subjects: culture, foreign policy, freedom of expression, fundamental rights, regional cooperation








CE2012377EN.01013501.xml










7.12.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CE 377/135





Thursday 12 May 2011Cultural dimensions of EU external actions
P7_TA(2011)0239
European Parliament resolution of 12 May 2011 on the cultural dimensions of the EU’s external actions (2010/2161(INI))
2012/C 377 E/18

The European Parliament,






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having regard to Article 167 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),










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having regard to Article 27(3) of the Treaty on European Union,










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having regard to Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,










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having regard to the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (UNESCO Convention),










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having regard to the Council Decision 2010/427/EU of 26 July 2010 establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service (1),










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having regard to Directive 2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2010 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive) (2),










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having regard to Decision No 1041/2009/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing an audiovisual cooperation programme with professionals from third countries (MEDIA Mundus 2011–2013) (3),










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having regard to Decision No 1983/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008) (4),










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having regard to the European Agenda for Culture in a Globalising World (COM(2007)0242),










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having regard to the Commission report on the implementation of the European Agenda for Culture (COM(2010)0390),










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having regard to its resolution of 5 May 2010 on Europeana – the next steps (5),










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having regard to the Council Conclusions of 18 and 19 November 2010 on the Work Plan for Culture 2011 – 2014 (2010/C 325/01) (6),










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having regard to the Council Conclusions of 20 November 2008 on the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue in the external relations of the Union and its Member States (2008/C 320/04) (7),










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having regard to the United Nations Millennium Declaration (2000), and in particular the articles under the heading ‘Human rights, democracy and good governance’,










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having regard to the United Nations resolution entitled ‘Keeping the promise: united to achieve the Millennium Development Goals’ of 22 September 2010,










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having regard to the United Nations resolution entitled ‘Culture and Development’ of 20 December 2010,










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having regard to the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 (8), as first amended in Luxembourg on 25 June 2005 (9) and as amended for the second time in Ouagadougou on 22 June 2010 (10),










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having regard to the Protocol on Cultural Cooperation annexed to the model Free Trade Agreement,










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having regard to Rule 48 of its Rules of Procedure,










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having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A7-0112/2011),










A.


whereas the EU is a culturally diverse community of values, whose motto – ‘United in diversity’ – finds expression in a variety of ways,










B.


whereas successive EU enlargements, personal mobility in the shared European area, established and new migratory flows and exchanges of all kinds with the rest of the world help foster that cultural diversity,










C.


whereas culture has intrinsic value, enriches people’s lives and fosters mutual understanding and respect,










D.


whereas the European Agenda for Culture sets the strategic objective of promoting culture as a vital element in the EU's international relations,










E.


whereas culture can and should be a facilitator for development, inclusion, innovation, democracy, human rights, education, conflict prevention and reconciliation, mutual understanding, tolerance and creativity,










F.


whereas the Union and its Member States, citizens, businesses and civil society both in the EU and in third countries are key actors in cultural relations,










G.


whereas cultural goods, including sports, contribute to the EU's non-material development and economy, fostering the realisation of a knowledge-based society, through, in particular, cultural industries and tourism,










H.


whereas artists act as de facto cultural diplomats exchanging and confronting different aesthetic, political, moral and social values,










I.


whereas new media and communication technologies, such as the internet, can be an instrument for freedom of expression, pluralism, the exchange of information, human rights, development, freedom of assembly, democracy and inclusion and for facilitating access to cultural content and education,










J.


whereas cultural cooperation and cultural dialogue, which are building blocks of cultural diplomacy, can serve as instruments for global peace and stability,






Culture and European values








1.


Underlines the cross-cutting nature and the importance of culture in all aspects of life, and believes that culture needs to be taken into consideration in all EU external policies, in line with Article 167(4) TFEU;










2.


Stresses the need for all EU institutions to recognise more fully the value of culture as a force for tolerance and understanding and as a tool for growth and more inclusive societies;










3.


Calls for cooperation with the regions in each Member State in drawing up, implementing and promoting cultural policies;










4.


Stresses that democratic and fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression, press freedom, freedom from want, freedom from fear, freedom from intolerance, hatred and the freedom to access printed and digital information, as well as the privilege to connect and communicate – online and offline – are important preconditions for cultural expression, cultural exchanges and cultural diversity;










5.


Recalls the importance of the cultural cooperation protocols and their added value in bilateral agreements on development and trade; urges the Commission to present its strategy on future cultural cooperation protocols and to consult Parliament and civil society on this strategy;










6.


Reiterates that culture plays a role in bilateral agreements on development and trade, and through measures such as the European instruments for Development Cooperation, for Stability, for Democracy and Human Rights and for Pre-Accession, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), the Eastern Partnership, the Union for the Mediterranean and the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), which all allocate resources to cultural programmes;










7.


Emphasises that transatlantic cooperation and cooperation with neighbouring European states is important to advance joint interests and common values;










8.


Values public-private cooperation with a strong role for civil society, including NGOs and European cultural networks, in addressing the cultural aspects of the EU's external relations;






EU programmes








9.


Is concerned at the fragmentation of external EU cultural policy and projects, which is hampering the strategic and efficient use of cultural resources and the development of a visible common EU strategy on the cultural aspects of the EU's external relations;










10.


Urges the streamlining of internal operations in the Commission in the various DGs which focus on external relations (foreign policy, enlargement, trade, development), education and culture and the digital agenda;










11.


States that cultural and educational exchanges can potentially strengthen civil society, foster democratisation and good governance, encourage the development of skills, promote human rights and fundamental freedoms and provide building blocks for lasting cooperation;










12.


Supports the increasing involvement of third countries in EU cultural, mobility, youth, education and training programmes, and calls for access to these programmes to be facilitated for (young) people from third countries, such as European neighbouring countries;










13.


Calls for coherent strategies to foster youth mobility and the mobility of cultural professionals, artists and creators, cultural and educational development (including media and ICT literacy), and access to artistic expression in all its forms; encourages, therefore, synergies between cultural, sports, education, media, multilingualism and youth programmes;










14.


Encourages cooperation with practitioners, mediator organisations and civil society, in both Member States and third countries, in drawing up and implementing external cultural policies and in promoting cultural events and exchanges which improve mutual understanding whilst taking due account of European cultural and linguistic diversity;










15.


Calls for the creation of a cultural visa for third-country nationals, artists and other professionals in the cultural field, along the lines of the existing Scientific Visa Programme in force since 2005; also asks the Commission to propose a short-term visa initiative with the aim of eliminating obstacles to mobility in the cultural sector;






Media and new information technologies








16.


Stresses the importance of the EU taking action throughout the world to promote respect for freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom of access to audiovisual media and new information technologies, in a manner consistent with copyright rules;










17.


Condemns the fact that repressive regimes increasingly censor and monitor the internet, and urges the Commission and the Member States to promote internet freedom globally;










18.


Reaffirms the principle of net neutrality, which is designed to ensure that the internet remains a free and open technology, fostering democratic communication;










19.


Emphasises the internet’s role as a tool for promoting European culture, and calls on the Member States to further develop investment in broadband internet throughout the EU;










20.


Emphasises the importance of the new media and, above all, of the internet as free, easily accessible and user-friendly communications and information platforms which should be actively used, inside and outside the EU, in the context of intercultural dialogue; in addition, stresses the importance of the new media in providing access to cultural goods and content and in making Europe's cultural heritage and history better known, inside and outside the EU, as demonstrated by key projects such as Europeana;










21.


Calls on the Commission to create a central internet portal which both provides information on existing EU support programmes in the external relations sphere which have a cultural component and on the planning and organisation of cultural events of pan-European significance by the EU’s foreign representations and acts as a central information platform to facilitate networking between cultural professionals, institutions and civil society, and which at the same time contains links to other EU-sponsored events, such as Europeana;






Cultural diplomacy and cultural cooperation








22.


Emphasises the importance of cultural diplomacy and cultural cooperation in advancing and communicating throughout the world the EU’s and the Member States’ interests and the values that make up European culture; stresses the need for the EU to act as a (world) player with a global perspective and global responsibility;










23.


Argues that the EU's external actions should focus primarily on promoting peace and reconciliation, human rights, international trade and economic development, without neglecting the cultural aspects of diplomacy;










24.


Stresses the need to devise effective strategies for intercultural negotiations, and considers that a multicultural approach to this task may facilitate the conclusion of beneficial agreements, putting the EU and third-country partners on an equal footing;










25.


Urges that one person in each EU representation overseas should be responsible for the coordination of cultural relations and interaction between the EU and third countries and for the promotion of European culture, in close cooperation with cultural actors and network-based organisations such as EUNIC;










26.


Emphasises the need to adopt a comprehensive approach to cultural mediation and cultural exchange and the role of culture in fostering democratisation, human rights, conflict prevention and peace-building;










27.


Encourages the launch of policy dialogues on culture, such as that recently initiated between the EU and India, in order to strengthen people-to-people contacts;










28.


Encourages the setting of priorities directly linked to the cultural dimension within the EIDHR, including strengthening the rule of law, conflict management and prevention, civil society cooperation and the role of new technologies as regards freedom of expression, democratic participation and human rights;






EU external relations and European External Action Service (EEAS)








29.


Expects the draft organisational chart of the EEAS to include positions tailored to cultural aspects, and suggests that a coordination unit be established for this purpose;










30.


Calls on the EEAS and the Commission to coordinate the strategic deployment of the cultural aspects of external policy, incorporating culture consistently and systematically into the EU’s external relations and seeking complementarity with the Member States' external cultural policies;










31.


Calls for EEAS staff to be provided with appropriate training and further training in the cultural and digital aspects of external policy, so that they can provide coordination in this area for EU delegations, for joint European training possibilities to be offered to national experts and staff from cultural institutes, and for training facilities to be thrown open for global participation;










32.


Calls for the inclusion of a DG Cultural and Digital Diplomacy in the organisation of the EEAS;










33.


Encourages the EEAS, when developing its resources and competences in the cultural sphere, to cooperate with networks such as EUNIC in order to draw on their experience as independent links between the Member States and cultural mediation organisations and create and exploit synergies;










34.


Encourages the EEAS to take account of the EU’s recently established European Heritage Label as a tool to be used in relations with third countries with a view to improving knowledge and the dissemination of the culture and history of the European peoples;










35.


Calls on the Commission to establish an interinstitutional taskforce for culture in the context of the EU’s external relations in order to develop and widen coordination, streamlining, strategies and the sharing of best practices and, in that connection, to take account of the Council of Europe’s activities and initiatives and to report to Parliament on the taskforce's work;










36.


Proposes that the Commission should submit to Parliament regular reports on the implementation of this resolution on the role of culture in the EU’s external relations;










37.


Proposes the creation of specific information systems to support the mobility of artists and other professionals in the cultural field, as envisaged by the study entitled ‘Information systems to support the mobility of artists and other professionals in the culture field: a feasibility study’ (11);










38.


Urges the Commission to propose and adopt in 2011 a Green Paper on a strategy on culture and cultural cooperation in the EU's external actions, to be followed by a communication;










39.


Encourages concrete steps to foster capacity-building through the involvement of civil society and the funding of independent initiatives;






UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions








40.


Calls on the EEAS to encourage third countries to develop policies on culture and systematically to call on third countries to ratify and implement the UNESCO Convention;










41.


Reminds the Member States of the importance of the commitments they have given in ratifying the UNESCO Convention, since the protection of cultural diversity in the world requires an informed and balanced policy in the digital sphere;










42.


Calls on the Commission to take proper account of the dual nature of cultural goods and services when negotiating bilateral and multilateral trade agreements and concluding cultural protocols and to grant preferential treatment to developing countries, in accordance with Article 16 of the UNESCO Convention;










43.


Welcomes the recent signing of an agreement between the EU and UNESCO on an EUR 1 million Expert Facility to support governance in the cultural sector and enable the governments of developing countries to take advantage of experts' knowledge in devising effective and sustainable cultural policies;










44.


Encourages the Member States and the Commission to step up their cooperation efforts in order to further improve national legal frameworks and policies for the protection and preservation of cultural heritage and cultural assets, in accordance with national legislation and international legal frameworks, including measures to combat illegal trafficking in cultural assets and intellectual property; encourages them to prevent the unlawful appropriation of cultural heritage and the products of cultural activity, whilst at the same time recognising the importance of copyright and intellectual property in maintaining the livelihood of those involved in cultural creation;










45.


Calls for a coherent EU strategy for the international promotion of European cultural activities and programmes based on the protection of diversity and the dual nature of cultural goods and activities, which covers, inter alia, the more effective coordination of existing EU external policy programmes with cultural components and their implementation in agreements with third countries, and consistency with the cultural compatibility clauses included in the Treaties, the subsidiarity principle and the UNESCO Convention;










46.


Calls for a coherent strategy for the protection and promotion of cultural and natural heritage, both tangible and intangible, and international cooperation in conflict areas, for example through Blue Shield, which gives culture a role in preventing conflicts and restoring peace;










47.


Calls for personnel being sent to conflict and post-conflict areas to be given training in the cultural aspects of action to preserve heritage and promote reconciliation, democracy and human rights;










48.


Wishes to ensure that, in the framework of existing financial instruments, operational programmes are focused on simplification, efficiency and the coordination of EU policies;










49.


Encourages the promotion of the role of culture within the EIDHR, in its work on strengthening the rule of law, conflict management and prevention, civil society cooperation and the role of new technologies as regards freedom of expression, democratic participation and human rights;










50.


Recognises that all human rights need to be respected, as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and therefore recognises the link between cultural rights, diversity and human rights and objects to the use of cultural arguments to justify human rights violations;










51.


Proposes to include a chapter on culture in the Annual Review on Human Rights and to mainstream culture in the work of interparliamentary delegations;










52.


Urges that the development of cultural activities should not be used as an argument for restricting the free movement of cultural professionals between the EU and third countries;










53.


Encourages the establishment of cultural relations with countries with which no other partnerships exist, as a stepping stone towards the development of further relations;




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54.


Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.






(1)  OJ L 201, 3.8.2010, p. 30.

(2)  OJ L 95, 15.4.2010, p. 1.

(3)  OJ L 288, 4.11.2009, p. 10.

(4)  OJ L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 44.

(5)  OJ C 81 E, 15.3.2011, p. 16.

(6)  OJ C 325, 2.12.2010, p. 1.

(7)  OJ C 320, 16.12.2008, p. 10.

(8)  OJ L 317, 15.12.2000, p. 3.

(9)  OJ L 209, 11.8.2005, p. 27.

(10)  OJ L 287, 4.11.2010, p. 3.

(11)  DG Education and Culture of the European Commission, March 2009.