REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the implementation and relevance of the Work Plan for Culture 2011-2014
Date: 2014-08-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: acculturation, cultural cooperation, cultural heritage, cultural pluralism, cultural relations, cultural transmission, culture industry, economic and social cohesion, right to culture













EUR-Lex - 52014DC0535 - EN











|



52014DC0535

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the implementation and relevance of the Work Plan for Culture 2011-2014 /* COM/2014/0535 final */









REPORT
FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
Report
on the implementation and relevance of the 2011-14 Work Plan for Culture
1.                 
INTRODUCTION
Culture
and the diversity of cultural expression are among Europe’s greatest strengths.
As a source of values, identity and sense of citizenship, culture contributes
to citizens’ well-being and to social cohesion and inclusion. It is also a
driver for economic growth, job creation and external trade.
In 2007, the European Commission
proposed to shape European cooperation on culture around three strategic
objectives in the European Agenda for Culture: 
·        
promoting
cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue; 

 promoting
     culture as a catalyst for creativity and growth; and 
 promoting
     culture as a vital element in the EU’s external relations. 

This Agenda
was endorsed by the Council, and its priorities were subsequently reflected in
two Council work plans for culture. 
In
2010, having come to the conclusion that the Council Work Plan for Culture 2008-2010
constituted a new and important stage in the development of Member State
cooperation in the field of culture and had improved the coherence and
visibility of European action in the field, the Council adopted the second work
plan covering the years 2011-2014. 
Firmly
anchored in these three overarching objectives, this new work plan was also
based on the reaffirmation by EU Member States that culture can contribute to achieving
the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive
growth.    
When it
adopted the current Work Plan for Culture in December 2010, the Council invited
the Commission to present a final report on its implementation and relevance before
the end of the first half of 2014, based on voluntary contributions from Member
States. The report is intended to serve as a basis for preparing the next work plan.
This
report first looks at progress made in implementing the work plan’s six sectorial
priority areas through the working methods foreseen by the Council, such as the
open method of coordination (OMC). Then, drawing on an independent evaluation
that assessed the OMC as a tool for implementing the Agenda for Culture[1] and contributions
submitted by EU Member States to a 2014 Commission survey, the report presents
the lessons learnt regarding the relevance of the work plan and its
instruments. The final chapter makes recommendations for the steps to take
regarding the content and working methods of the next Work Plan for Culture
beyond 2014.  
2. PROGRESS TOWARDS THE 2011-2014 WORK
PLAN OBJECTIVES
The
2011-14 Work Plan for Culture sets out an ambitious framework for cooperation
and specifies six priority areas for action towards the European Agenda for
Culture objectives and the Europe 2020 strategy’s objective of smart, inclusive
and sustainable growth. These priority areas are: 

 cultural diversity, intercultural
     dialogue and accessible and inclusive culture; 
 cultural
     and creative industries; 
 skills
     and mobility; 
 cultural
     heritage, including the mobility of collections; 
 culture
     in external relations; and 
 culture
     statistics.

The
following section looks at the progress made in implementing the key actions foreseen
in the work plan for each of these six sectorial priorities.  
2.1       Cultural
diversity, intercultural dialogue, and accessible and inclusive culture
Intercultural
dialogue is a key objective of the European Agenda for Culture; in addition,
intercultural dialogue and participation in cultural activities can strengthen
social cohesion and contribute to inclusive growth.
Member State
experts first focused on the role of publicly funded cultural institutions in
promoting access to culture, working through the OMC. Their analysis of more
than 80 policies and practices — gathered together in a good-practice manual
that was published in 2013[2]
— led them to conclude that the issue of access is also an issue of lack of
public demand and that ‘audience development’ is, therefore, to be
encouraged.   
Building
on these conclusions, a second OMC expert group focused on policies and good
practices for public art and cultural institutions as facilitators of exchanges
among cultures and between social groups. It concluded that cultural institutions
should adapt their programming (e.g. theatrical shows, exhibits displayed, etc.)
so as to ensure that it is relevant to a diverse audience. They should also: 

 have
     staff that understand diverse needs; 
 make
     efforts to reach out to new audiences; and 
 create
     spaces for encounters within institutions.[3]

Given
that addressing school-age children and young people is the most obvious way to
build future audiences, a third OMC working group is currently focusing on developing
cultural awareness and expression through education at all levels.[4]  
2.2       Cultural
and creative sectors
The cultural
and creative sectors (CCSs) are key providers of cultural diversity and account
for 4.5 % of EU GDP. In recognition of the fact that they can help achieve
the Europe 2020 strategy’s objective of smart and sustainable growth, the CCSs
are the work plan’s second priority. The work plan provides for a wide range of
actions to be implemented by the Commission and OMC groups.  
In
2012, the Commission published a comprehensive strategy to promote the EU’s cultural
and creative sectors in jobs and growth,[5]
which built on responses to the 2010 Green Paper on ‘unlocking the potential of
cultural and creative industries’.[6]
The strategy invited Member States to develop new governance models at national
and regional level, based on cooperation between different sectors and policies,
to fully unleash the potential of CCSs and help them respond to the challenges raised
by globalisation and digitisation.
The
strategy also paved the way for increased cooperation in the field of the CCSs between
relevant initiatives of different Commission departments. For example, the European
Creative Industries Alliance, which combined policy learning and testing models
on accessing finance and innovation, was invited to share its results with experts
in the relevant OMC groups. 
Three
OMC groups worked on this priority area. Two OMC groups produced best practice
reports, one on the strategic use of structural funds to make best use of the
CCSs’ potential (2012),[7]
and one on CCS export support and internationalisation strategies (2014). [8] Both
reports have become useful tools for policy makers at national and regional
level, and are frequently quoted reference documents.
The third
OMC working group is focused on existing funding schemes for the CCSs in EU
Member States. This group was launched in 2014 and will produce a good-practice
report on financial engineering for SMEs in the CCSs by the end of 2014. Like the other OMC groups, it will thus help build a body
of policy recommendations that can help to design policies which strengthen the
CCSs’ contribution to smart, sustainable growth.
2.3       Skills
and mobility
When they travel and work within the EU,
artists help create a common European cultural area. Being mobile also increases
their opportunities to broaden their audiences, advance their careers, and more
generally contribute to creativity and innovation.
In
2012, to contribute improving the policy framework, an OMC working group issued
a report providing concise and practical advice to policy
makers, entitled ‘building a strong framework for
artists’ mobility: five key principles’.[9] Another OMC working group,
launched in 2013, will deliver a good-practice manual on artists’ residencies
by the end of 2014.
Artists moving around the EU encounter many challenges, including a
lack of comprehensive
information on administrative issues like visas and social security. Therefore,
as part of the work plan, an expert group convened by the Commission produced
common standards for information and advice services for artists and culture
professionals seeking to be more mobile.[10]
This set of standards can now be used by Member States to create or revise
existing information portals. This is the case in Germany and Austria, for example.  
However, even when the information is available, rules pertaining
to visas, social security and cross border taxation remain complex,
particularly for
artists who work on short-term postings and under various employment statuses
across borders. This is why, as part of the
work plan, the Commission organised two seminars in
2013 and 2014, bringing together relevant staff from the Commission, EU Member
States and the cultural sector. Their objective was to facilitate the exchange of
good practice and put forward a number of recommendations. These include, for
example, establishing more multi-lingual information portals in the Member States or the need for improved coordination between administrations and greater compliance
with the most recent EU legislation on social security coordination. 
At
the EU-level, the
Commission
adopted on 1 April 2014 a "visa package", which includes a new type
of "Touring visa" that would allow legitimate non-EU nationals
entering the Schengen area to circulate in it for up to 1 year[11]. This
would
apply for instance, to live-performing and circus artists. On taxes, the
expert group set up by the Commission, in which the live performance sector
will be represented, will contribute to the identification of tax problems
facing individuals who are active across borders within the EU, as well as of good
practices.
This
priority area also focused on skills. Topics tackled included promoting creative partnerships, identifying and developing
skills through culture sector councils, and promoting media literacy. In 2013,
an OMC group produced a policy handbook[12] identifying and modelling successful
creative partnerships and practices, to encourage interaction between the cultural
and creative sectors and other sectors such as education and training, as well
as business. The group found that creative partnerships are high-impact,
low-cost tools which can help to develop attitudes that are essential for innovation
and creativity and may help prevent or remedy early school leaving.
2.4       Cultural
heritage, including mobility of collections
Europe’s cultural
heritage is much more than a repository of knowledge; it is also a shared
resource, and a common good. Heritage makes a major contribution to defining
the identity of European citizens and is a resource for social cohesion and
economic development. It can therefore contribute to meeting the Europe 2020
strategy’s objectives.
In 2012, an OMC group examined ways to
simplify the process of lending and borrowing cultural objects between EU
Member States. It produced practical recommendations and a toolkit containing
guidelines for introducing: 

 state
     indemnity schemes, shared liability and risk assessment; 
 a
     valuation checklist; 
 best
     practices in risk assessment and in reducing transport costs; and
 a
     multilingual glossary. 

To
complete this work, comparative research was conducted to analyse systems for valuing
works of art for insurance, state indemnity, and shared liability purposes.[13]
Digitisation
was another key area of work, with a focus on film heritage and Europeana, Europe's digital library and archive.[14]
In 2011, the Commission adopted a recommendation on digital preservation and the
digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material. It asked Member
States to step up their efforts and involve the private sector more in
digitising cultural material. For its part, the Commission included Europeana
as one of the digital service infrastructures eligible for support under the
Connecting Europe Facility. The Commission also ensured the accessibility of
the interface and the contents of Europeana for persons with disabilities.
Finally,
an ad-hoc
expert group, convened by the Commission, looked into the feasibility of
producing European guidelines and a code of ethics on due diligence in the
fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods. The group suggested waiting
until the revised Directive 93/7/EEC[15]
on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State is adopted before taking further action.  
As
a means of accompanying and further advancing this work, the Commission
presented in June 2014 a policy document calling for stronger cooperation at EU
level, allowing for an integrated approach that could help the European heritage
sector face current challenges, and inviting heritage stakeholders to fully seize
the opportunities of EU funding programmes in place.[16] 
2.5       Culture
in EU external relations
The
Agenda for Culture identified culture as a vital element of the EU’s external
relations. The Work Plan provided for several activities in this field, such as
organising joint informal meetings between senior officials of Ministries of
Culture and of Foreign Affairs. These activities would also support the
objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy and the Agenda for Culture.
Several
such meetings were organised by EU Presidencies and helped develop a strategic
approach to culture in EU external relations. In addition, in 2012 the
Commission convened an expert group to look into this area. They produced a set
of recommendations and principles for developing a strategic approach to
culture in EU external relations, taking China as a test case. EU culture ministers
gave their support to this approach at a policy debate in May 2013.
The
ratification and objectives of the 2005 UNESCO convention on protecting and
promoting the diversity of cultural expression were promoted in relations with
third countries, such as at the Tbilisi ministerial conference held in June
2013[17]
or through the joint declarations on culture signed with the EU’s strategic
partners.[18]
 
2.6       Culture
statistics
Comparable
statistics on culture’s contribution to the economy and social cohesion are essential
for evidence-based policies. However, no real European system for cultural
statistics is in place. The only data that can be used are those produced by
Member States and these data are extremely difficult to compare with one
another due, inter alia, to differences in the definition of the cultural field
and its boundaries. In May 2012, the ‘ESSnet culture’ project[19] proposed
a methodological framework for producing comparable cultural data across the EU.
Implementing this will require further work by Eurostat and help from national
statistical offices. In this respect work to develop and produce a set of
regular European statistics on culture has been initiated at Eurostat and is
expected to produce results starting in 2015. In 2011, Eurostat also published
a new edition of its pocket book on cultural statistics.[20]
The work
plan also asked the Commission to improve statistics on the mobility of artists. However,
a Commission-convened expert group concluded that methodological problems prevented
them from developing a reliable sampling approach to measuring the mobility of
artists and culture professionals.
3. WORKING
METHODS
The tools
and working methods for implementing the work plan included working groups of Member State experts holding OMC meetings, expert groups convened by the Commission, senior
official meetings organised by EU Presidencies, studies, and reports.
3.1 The
open method of coordination (OMC) 
The
OMC is a flexible, non-binding framework to structure cooperation between
Member States in the field of culture which is organised around strategic
objectives and fostering exchanges of best practice. The OMC was the most
frequently used method of producing output under the 2011-14 Work Plan.  
On
average, the groups were composed of 25 experts, representing an equivalent number
of Member States. The experts had diverse backgrounds, representing national ministries,
academia and civil society.
All
members of the OMC groups were invited to widely disseminate their results, at
both national and regional levels. Plans to disseminate the results, introduced
upon the suggestion of the Commission, proved useful. The Commission also played
an active role in sharing results at European level and at relevant conferences
such as the 2011 and 2013 European Culture Forums.  
3.2 Structured dialogue with civil society  
The
Council conclusions adopting the work plan asked the Commission and Member States to regularly consult and inform stakeholders on progress and results achieved
by implementing the work plan.
The
Commission regularly invited the platform for intercultural Europe, the platform
on access to culture, and the platform on the cultural and creative industries to
attend OMC meetings. These platforms are part of the structured dialogue that
the Commission has been conducting with civil society since 2008. 
Some
Member States, like Austria, have organised seminars to publicise the results of
the OMC to relevant stakeholders.
3.3 Information to third countries
Candidate countries, members
of the European Free Trade Association and other countries participating in the
EU’s Culture programme were kept informed of work carried out under the work
plan. 
4. LESSONS
LEARNT
4.1 Relevance
and impact of the 2011-2014 work plan  
In
2013, the Commission requested an external evaluation report[21] to
look at the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the OMC as
a tool for the implementation of the European Agenda for Culture and the Work Plan
for Culture.
The
report concluded that the range of activities undertaken and the level of
participation and engagement generated demonstrated that the OMC process supported
delivery of the Agenda for Culture’s policy objectives.
It
highlighted that, overall, the themes and topics covered by both generations[22] of
the OMC process have proved equally relevant to policy-making at national and
EU level and that the working groups were meeting demand for mutual learning
opportunities. The evidence suggested a two-fold need is being met: to share
and learn about practices in other countries, and to learn about and
participate in the development of EU policies in areas of particular relevance
to national interests. 
Participation
in OMC meetings was satisfactory overall. The mixture of officials,
practitioners and external experts strengthened the quality of the activities
carried out. The evaluators pointed out that one of the most important factors
to consider in terms of the profile of participants concerns individuals’
connectivity to key decision-makers in their home country (e.g. in Ministries).
The
evaluators concluded that the benefits and impacts of the OMC mainly related to
mutual learning, best practice exchanges, and building European knowledge networks
on specific cultural topics. They considered that, while it was difficult to
gauge the extent of the OMC’s overall impact, some activities and outputs have
indeed fed into national policies and that a proportion of these results
appeared to be directly attributable to the OMC.
The
evaluators also noted that there was potential to achieve greater impact,
through stronger connections with and better information-sharing channels
between OMC participants and key decision-makers at national level.
In
2014, the Commission conducted a survey in which all EU Member States
participated. It showed that 86 % of Member States considered that the work
plan has focused on the right priorities, and 85 % were of the opinion
that their implementation had generally met their government’s expectations. In
addition, 75 % agreed that the work plan had had a positive impact on the
cultural sector in their country, and that it was relevant to cultural policy development there.
A similar number of respondents (72 %) stated that the work plan was relevant
for implementing cultural policy in their country; 21 % considered
that this was not the case.
Member
States expressed a slightly more mixed opinion on the role played by the work plan
on coordinating cultural policy at EU level, with 67 % considering that
coordination had improved, and 25 % considering that it had not. Similarly,
68 % agreed that the work plan had led to better recognition of culture’s contribution
to achieving the overall goals of the Europe 2020 strategy, while18 % did not
share this view. 65 % agreed that the work plan improved coordination
between the EU and cultural stakeholders; only 10 % stated that this was
not the case.  
4.2.
Relevance and impact of tools and working methods
86 %
of the Member States considered that the work plan has used the right
structures and working methods.
The
external evaluators analysed a total of ten OMC groups. They concluded that the
outputs of the second OMC generation (2011-14) were seen as a marked
improvement, with a focus on issuing more practical material such as guides,
handbooks, tools, etc. They noted that there was a risk that time pressure
might negatively affect output quality in future and recommended possibly
extending the duration (and/or number of meetings) of the OMC working group
cycle.
The
evaluators noted that, overall, there was widespread support for the way the
OMC currently works, a result confirmed by the Commission’s survey of Member
States, where 93 % had a positive view of the OMC performance and its role
in implementing the work plan. The evaluators found that the organisation and
management of the OMC process had been efficient and the support offered by the
Commission was considered very positive.
The
evaluators suggested that more study visits as part of the OMC process would
potentially further increase interaction and engagement. They also suggested adopting
a more thorough, evidence-based approach in order to further improve the
quality of results.
The
evaluators noted that interaction between the OMC working groups and the
structured dialogue process involving civil society had been limited and that
there were potential benefits of closer integration. The evaluators also noted
that rigidity and unnecessary institutionalisation should be avoided and that greater
flexibility should be introduced where possible. This would allow themes for
discussion to be adjusted on the basis of the participants’ needs and participation
to be more flexible, giving all interested organisations the chance to
contribute to the dialogue. 
5.
TOWARDS A NEW WORK PLAN FOR CULTURE
5.1 Duration
and working methods
According
to the Commission’s 2014 survey, 68 % of EU Member States would like the
new culture work plan to cover four years and 73 % would like to see a
mid-term evaluation.
The
Commission would therefore propose that the new work plan cover four years from
2015 and be divided into two two-year phases. In 2016, an in-depth mid-term
review would allow the work plan to be amended in light of new challenges or to
return to issues that were worked on under previous work plans, but which were
not immediate priorities in 2015. Each phase should see a maximum of four OMC expert
groups running in parallel, allowing the Commission to effectively support the
process and the Council and Presidencies to make use of the work plan’s
outcomes. Other potential improvements will be examined when planning the work plan
to run from 2015.
5.2.
Challenges to be addressed and thematic priorities   
A
policy debate was held at the May 2014 Council meeting to prepare the new
Council Work Plan for Culture. EU Culture Ministers identified a number of
challenges to be addressed by European cooperation in the field of culture: 

 the
     impact of the digital shift on culture and cultural operators ; 
 exploring
     new funding models for culture in response to a changing financial
     context; 
 promoting
     access to and participation in culture, including via digital means; 
 dealing
     with changing models of cultural governance; 
 better
     understanding and measurement of the impact of culture; and 
 promoting
     culture’s cross-sectorial policy relevance (‘mainstreaming’).

Ministers
confirmed their interest in cultural heritage and in developing the cultural
and creative sectors. They also agreed that safeguarding cultural diversity was
a key reason to better coordinate action. The need to start preparing for the
next phase of the European Structural and Investment Funds was also highlighted.
These
areas for action are fully in line with the overarching objectives of the
European Agenda for Culture and the Europe 2020 strategy. A streamlined work plan,
focused on a number of limited, but high level, priorities would make it
possible to deliver results with a clearer added value. The Commission would therefore
recommend that
the new work plan cover the following priority areas: 

 supporting
     cultural diversity and access to culture; 
 cultural
     heritage; 
 promoting
     innovation by and within the cultural and creative sectors, including the
     digital ; and 
 improving
     governance and mainstreaming of culture. 

These
proposals, amongst others, will be discussed when drawing up the next work plan.

5.3
Working methods
The open
method of coordination (OMC)
While
Member States are satisfied with the way the OMC operated, a number of small improvements
may be made to the way it functions, arising from the independent external
evaluation and the Commission’s survey. Each OMC process
should have well-defined, practical outputs and, where possible, the
Commission will commission research to support their work, so as to strengthen
the evidence base. The duration of the OMC working groups should be slightly
extended from one and a half years to two years, with a total of six meetings. Peer
learning could be improved by means of study visits to be introduced during the
OMC.
Structured
dialogue with civil society  
In
line with recommendations from the external evaluators, the Commission intends
to continue holding a regular dialogue with civil society, though it will amend
the process to allow for more open, inclusive and flexible civil society contributions.
The Commission will put in place a renewed structured dialogue which will focus
on specific initiatives and themes linked to those in the new Work Plan, with
minimal support for administrative functions. Once in place, the renewed
structured dialogue and its participants will provide expertise that could be
shared with the relevant OMC expert groups.
The
Commission also intends to continue using the biennial European Culture Forums
to publicise the work plan’s results to European stakeholders. 
5.4 Using
results at national and European levels
While
the OMC has proven a good framework for networking and mutual learning among EU
administrations, channelling expert groups’ recommendations into policy making
at national and European level remains a challenge. To address this issue,
disseminating results at regional, national and European level must be one of
the new work plan’s priorities. Holding regular discussions about the OMC
findings with Member States and the Commission's   Directors-General for
culture may also help with this.
Some
Member States have also proposed strengthening the link between the EU’s political
priorities and the work plan’s outputs. This could be done by introducing
relevant OMC conclusions to the agenda of Council meetings and ensuring that
the work plan priorities are more clearly integrated with priorities for the Presidency
trios.
6.
CONCLUSION
The
European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the
Committee of the Regions are invited to take note of this report.
The Council
is invited to take this report as a basis for preparing the next EU Work Plan
for Culture, and to consider the proposals on challenges to be addressed and revised
work arrangements that this report has set out.
[1] ‘Evaluation of the open
method of coordination and the structured dialogue as the Agenda for Culture’s
implementing tools at EU level’, by Ecorys, an international consultancy company
(2013).
[2] http://ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/strategic-framework/documents/omc-report-access-to-culture_en.pdf
[3]  http://ec.europa.eu/culture/library/reports/201405-omc-diversity-dialogue_en.pdf

[4] This OMC group is
expected to finish in 2015.
[5] COM(2012) 537
[6] COM(2010) 183
[7] http://ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/strategic-framework/documents/structural-funds-handbook_en.pdf
[8] http://ec.europa.eu/culture/library/reports/eac-omc-executive-summary-ccs-strategies_en.pdf
[9] http://ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/strategic-framework/documents/omc-report-mobility-of-artists_en.pdf
[10] http://ec.europa.eu/culture/library/publications/mobility-info-standards_en.pdf
[11] Without,
however, staying in one Member State for more than 90 days in any 180-day
period.
[12] http://ec.europa.eu/culture/library/reports/creative-partnerships_en.pdf
[13] http://ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/strategic-framework/documents/omc-report-mobility-of-collections_en.pdf;
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/strategic-framework/documents/toolkit-mobility-of-collections_en.pdf
[14] http://www.europeana.eu/
[15] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31993L0007:en:HTML
[16] Commission
Communication 'Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe' (COM) 2014 477 final.
[17] At the Eastern
Partnership ministerial conference on culture held in Georgia in June 2013, Eastern partners confirmed their commitment to fully implementing the
convention.
[18] For example, Brazil, China, and Mexico.
[19] http://ec.europa.eu/culture/library/reports/ess-net-report_en.pdf
[20] http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-32-10-374/EN/KS-32-10-374-EN.PDF
[21] ‘Evaluation
of the open method of coordination and the structured dialogue as the Agenda
for Culture’s implementing tools at EU level’, by Ecorys, an international
consultancy company
[22] 2008-2010,
and 2011-2014