COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A New European Agenda for Culture
Date: 2018-05-22
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: cultural cooperation, cultural heritage, cultural pluralism, cultural promotion, cultural relations, culture industry, economic development, education policy, social inequality, vocational training

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 22.5.2018 COM(2018) 267 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A New European Agenda for Culture  {SWD(2018) 167 final}  
 
 
1.  Introduction 
On  the  60th anniversary of  the  Treaties  of  Rome,  the  Leaders  of  27  Member  States  and  EU 
institutions  stated  their  ambition  for  a  Union  where  citizens  have  new  opportunities  for 
cultural  and  social  development  and  economic  growth.  [..]  a  Union  which  preserves  our 
cultural  heritage  and  promotes  cultural  diversity1.  This  was  confirmed  at  the  Gothenburg 
Leaders' Summit in November 2017 and by the European Council in December 20172, which 
also  highlighted  the  2018  European  Year  of  Cultural  Heritage3  as  a  pivotal  opportunity  to 
increase awareness of the social and economic importance of culture and heritage.  

The  Commission  stated  in  its  Communication  on  Strengthening  European  Identity  through 
Education and Culture4, that it is in the shared interest of all Member States to harness the full 
potential of education and culture as drivers for jobs, economic growth, social fairness, active 
citizenship as well as a means to experience European identity in all its diversity. 

Europe's rich cultural heritage and dynamic cultural and creative sectors strengthen European 
identity, creating a sense of belonging. Culture promotes active citizenship, common values, 
inclusion  and  intercultural  dialogue  within  Europe  and  across  the  globe.  It  brings  people 
together,  including  newly  arrived  refugees  and  other  migrants,  and  helps  us  feel  part  of 
communities. Culture and creative industries also have the power to improve lives, transform 
communities,  generate  jobs  and  growth,  and  create  spill  over  effects  in  other  economic 
sectors.  

The New European Agenda for Culture (the New Agenda) responds to the European Leaders' 
invitation to do more, through culture and  education, to build cohesive societies and offer a 
vision of an attractive European Union5. It aims to harness the full potential of culture to help 
build a more inclusive and fairer Union, supporting innovation, creativity and sustainable jobs 
and growth. 

2.  The challenges and the ambition 

Emerging  from  a  severe  financial  crisis,  Europe  faces  growing  social  inequalities,  diverse 
populations,  populism,  radicalisation,  and  terrorist  threats.  New  technologies  and  digital 
communication  are  transforming  societies,  changing  lifestyles,  consumption  patterns  and 
power relationships in economic value chains. In this changing landscape, the role of culture 
is more important than ever. In a 2017 Eurobarometer survey, 53% of respondents consider 
that Member States are close in terms of shared values, whereas 40% believe they are distant. 
Culture  can  help  bridge  this  divide,  since  it  tops  the  list  of  factors  most  likely  to  create  a 
feeling of community6. However, Eurostat data show that more than a third of Europeans do 
not  participate  at  all  in  cultural  activities7.  So  there  is  clear  scope  to  increase  cultural 
participation, and bring Europeans together to experience what connects us rather than what 
divides us. Yet, market fragmentation, insufficient access to finance and uncertain contractual 
conditions  continue  to  hinder  cultural  and  creative  sectors  and  depress  the  income  of  their 
professionals. 

1  Rome Declaration, March 2017 
2  European Council conclusions, December 2017 
3  https://europa.eu/cultural-heritage/  
4  COM(2017)673  
5  Bratislava declaration, September 2016 
6  Eurobarometer 87, Spring 2017 
7  Eurostat, November 2017 

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The New Agenda, backed with appropriate funding will exploit synergies between culture and 
education  and  strengthen  links  between  culture  and  other  policy  areas.  It  will  also  help 
cultural and creative sectors overcome the challenges and grasp the opportunities of the digital 
shift. 

3.  Legal basis and first steps 

The  legal  basis  for  action  in  the  area  of  culture  at  EU  level  is  Article  3  of  the  Treaty  on 
European  Union  and  Article  167  of  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union.8 
Member  States  have  exclusive  competence  on  cultural  policy,  while  the  Union’s  role  is  to 
encourage  cooperation  and  support  and  supplement  Member  States’  actions.  EU  policy 
cooperation received a major boost through the 2007 Commission Communication, endorsed 
by the Council9, on a "European Agenda for Culture in a Globalised World"10. The European 
Parliament has also supported that Agenda through political resolutions and pilot projects. 
An  impressive  number  of  actions11  have  been  undertaken  by  Member  States  since  then, 
inspired  by  EU  policy  collaboration  through  successive  Council  Work  Plans  for  Culture, 
through projects funded by EU programmes, and through macro-regional strategies12.  

The European Council has now tasked the EU to do more in this area and to examine further 
possible  measures  addressing,  among  others,  the  legal  and  financial  framework  conditions 
for the development of cultural and creative industries and the mobility of professionals of the 
cultural sector2. 

4.  Strategic Objectives and Actions 

The  New  Agenda  has  three  strategic  objectives,  with  social,  economic  and  external 
dimensions. 

4.1 Social dimension - harnessing the power of culture and cultural diversity for social 

cohesion and well-being  

  Foster the cultural capability13 of all Europeans by making available a wide range 

of cultural activities and providing opportunities to participate actively  

  Encourage the  mobility of  professionals in  the  cultural and creative  sectors  and 

remove obstacles to their mobility 

  Protect  and  promote  Europe's  cultural  heritage  as  a  shared  resource,  to  raise 
awareness of our  common history  and values  and reinforce a sense of  common 
European identity 

Cultural  participation  brings  people  together.  Culture  is  an  ideal  means  of  communicating 
across  language  barriers,  empowering  people  and  facilitating  social  cohesion,  including 
among  refugees,  other  migrants  and  host  populations.  Under  the  2007  European  Agenda, 

8   Articles 173 and 208 are also relevant for creative industries and development cooperation 
9  2007/C 287/01 
10  COM(2007) 242 
11  SWD/2018/167, the Staff Working Document accompanying this Communication, provides an overview of 
actions under the 2007 Agenda, details of actions proposed in this new Agenda plus other relevant actions 
ongoing or planned, and details of consultations, statistics and surveys which have informed its development. 

12  http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/  
13  The "capability approach" was developed by Amartya Sen. Its application to culture is more recent. 

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policymakers  and  practitioners  have  agreed  ways  of  using  participatory  arts  to  promote 
understanding, empower people, and increase self-confidence14.  

Culture is a transformative force for community regeneration. The successful 30-year history 
of  the  European  Capitals  of  Culture  demonstrates  this,  as  do  cultural  infrastructure  projects 
funded by European Structural and Investment Funds. The European Year is spotlighting the 
transversal  contribution  of  heritage  to  European  societies  and  economies.  There  is  a  new, 
adaptive approach to shaping our built environment – and it is rooted in culture15. 

Cultural  participation  also  improves  health  and  well-being.  71%  of  Europeans  recently 
surveyed  agreed  "living  close  to  places  related  to  Europe's  cultural  heritage  can  improve 
quality  of  life"16.  And  research17  confirms  that  cultural  access  is  the  second  most  important 
determinant of psychological well-being, preceded only by the absence of disease. 

But  social  and  financial  barriers 
to  cultural  participation  remain,  despite  cultural 
organisations' efforts to adapt to changing patterns of cultural consumption and composition 
of  the  population.  So  a  new  approach  is  proposed  with  cultural  capability  as  the  guiding 
principle. This means making available a wide range of quality cultural activities, promoting 
opportunities  for  all  to  take  part  and  to  create,  and  strengthening  links  between  culture  and 
education, social affairs, urban policy, research and innovation18.  

To increase participation, greater circulation of European artworks and of professionals in the 
European cultural and creative sectors is required. Building on solid evidence19, the EU will 
continue to support policy and financing, but Member States will need to do more to remove 
administrative obstacles such as the risk of double taxation of artists and art professionals. 

The Commission will: 

  Support  research  on  cultural  cross-overs  to  assess  impacts  in  different  fields 

including health and wellbeing (2018) 

  Develop  specific  actions  for  social  inclusion  through  culture,  through  Creative 
Europe  and  Erasmus+20  and  consider  selection  criteria  for  Creative  Europe  to 
incentivise gender equal project management (2019)  

  Launch a project on "Cultural and creative spaces and cities" under Creative Europe 

to promote cultural participation and social and urban regeneration (2018) 

  Propose  a  mobility  scheme  for  professionals  in  the  cultural  and  creative  sectors 

under Creative Europe (2018-2019) 

The Commission invites Member States to: 

  Commit to substantive progress in removing administrative and fiscal obstacles to 

mobility, inter alia through the next Work Plan for Culture 

14  Open Method of Coordination (OMC) and Voices of Culture, 2014, 2016 and 2017” 
15  In line with the 2018 Davos Declaration on high-quality Baukultur for Europe  
16  Special Eurobarometer 2017  
17  Sacco et al., 2011, The Interaction Between Culture, Health and Psychological Well-Being. The 2017-18 

OMC on culture for social inclusion is also gathering evidence on health and wellbeing. 

18  King’s College London report "Towards cultural democracy: Promoting cultural capabilities for everyone"  
19  3 OMCs on Mobility of artists and residencies, 2010, 2012, 2014 
20  ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/; ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus  

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4.2  Economic dimension - supporting culture-based creativity in education and innovation, 

and for jobs and growth 

  Promote  the  arts,  culture  and  creative  thinking  in  formal  and  non-formal 

education and training at all levels and in lifelong learning 

  Foster  favourable  ecosystems  for  cultural  and  creative  industries,  promoting 
access to finance, innovation capacity, fair remuneration of authors and creators 
and cross-sectoral cooperation 

  Promote  the  skills  needed  by  cultural  and  creative  sectors,  including  digital, 

entrepreneurial, traditional and specialised skills 

Culture and creativity are important assets for the economy. Culture contributes directly to 
jobs, growth and external trade. EU cultural employment increased steadily between 2011 
and 2016, when it reached 8.4 million. There is a EUR 8.7 billion trade surplus in cultural 
goods21,  and  cultural  and  creative  sectors  are  estimated  to  contribute  4.2%  to  EU  gross 
domestic  product22.  Innovative  economic  sectors  also  need  creativity  to  maintain 
competitive advantage. Urban and rural communities increasingly rely on culture to attract 
employers, students and tourists. 

Culture,  the  arts,  creativity  and  creative  industries  are  interdependent.  Combining 
knowledge and skills specific to cultural and creative sectors with those of other sectors 
helps  generate  innovative  solutions,  including  in  information  and  communication 
technology,  tourism,  manufacturing,  services,  and  the  public  sector.  To  tap  into  this 
transformative  power,  the  Commission  proposes  to  focus  on  three  specific  eco-systems: 
education and training, cities and regions, and cultural and creative industries themselves, 
in order to create supportive environments for culture-led innovation. 

Education and training: There is a clear link between levels of education and participation 
in culture. Cross-sectoral action on Cultural Awareness and Expression - one of the eight 
key  competences  recognised  at  European  level  -  will  be  explored  in  the  context  of  the 
revised Key Competence Framework for Lifelong Learning23. There is also consensus on 
the  need  for  transferable  competences  and  skills,  which  stimulate  creativity  and  critical 
thinking. The Commission has supported the work of the Organisation for Economic Co-
operation  and  Development  (OECD)  on  how  to  teach,  learn  and  assess  creative  and 
critical  thinking24,  which  is  now  the  innovative  domain  for  the  Programme  for 
International  Student  Assessment  2021  (PISA).  This  focus  on  creative  and  critical 
thinking should be extended to all levels of education and training, in line with the shift in 
approach  from  STEM  (Science,  Technology,  Engineering  and  Maths)  to  STEAM, 
including the Arts25.  

Cities and regions: Cultural and creative sectors have huge capacity for experimentation, 
anticipating trends,  and exploring  models  of  social  and  economic  innovation.  Cities and 
regions are natural partners26: at the forefront of culture-led development thanks to greater 
local autonomy, the attraction they exert on high-talent individuals, and their proximity to 
their  inhabitants'  needs  and  potential.  Culture  and  tourism  are  powerful  drivers  of 

21  Eurostat 2016 (culture statistics: employment, enterprises, participation, trade, expenditure) 
22  2014 Ernst & Young study "Measuring cultural and creative markets in the EU" 
23  2016 OMC handbook sets out practices and recommendations. 
24  OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation  
25  COM(2017)247 
26  Culture for Cities and Regions peer-learning project, 2015-17 

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economic  activity.  Cities  that  invest  in  culture  can  reap  substantial  rewards,  attracting 
more jobs and human capital than other comparable cities, as shown by the Cultural and 
Creative Cities Monitor, developed by the Commission's Joint Research Centre27. In rural 
areas,  restoration  and  upgrading  of  cultural  and  natural  heritage  contributes  to  growth 
potential  and  sustainability28.  Integrated  management  of  cultural  and  natural  assets 
encourages people to discover and engage with both29.  

Planning is necessary, but innovation must also be allowed through bottom-up processes, 
creative  hubs30  and  incubators,  where  freelancers  and  creatives  co-work  and  co-create. 
Clusters  of  enterprises  in  creative  sectors  have  also  shown  they  can  generate  high 
employment  growth31,  and  already  around  6%  of  all  1,300  regional  smart  specialisation 
priorities refer to culture32. Regional and European Territorial Cooperation create growth 
and  jobs  and  promote  Europe  as  a  destination,  including  via  macro-regional  cultural 
routes33.  There  is  scope  to  build  on  these  experiences  to  enhance  the  role  of  culture  for 
innovation-led territorial development.   

Cultural and creative industries: To turn opportunities into growth and jobs, cultural and 
creative enterprises and professionals need favourable framework conditions: a regulatory 
environment that rewards creation, better access to finance, opportunities to scale up and 
internationalise, and a supply of specific skills.  

For  many  Europeans,  particularly  younger  people,  cultural  employment  is  an  important 
entry point to the labour market (in Latvia, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Portugal, Estonia 
and  Spain  a  higher  proportion  of  15-29  year-olds  are  employed  in  culture  than  in  the 
economy  as  a  whole).  But  the  prevalence  of  project-based,  atypical  and  part-time 
employment can be problematic. Adapting the regulatory framework to provide coverage 
and social protection to intermittent and  increasingly mobile workers  represents  a major 
policy  challenge.  Fair  remuneration  of  authors  and  creators  is  another  objective  the 
Commission is addressing in the Digital Single Market Strategy. 

Access  to  finance  remains  a  major  challenge  for  a  sector  overwhelmingly  composed  of 
SMEs  and  micro-businesses.  The  Cultural  and  Creative  Sector  Guarantee  Facility, 
available  under  Creative  Europe,  has  made  a  promising  start  and  will  be  strengthened. 
Other  instruments  will  continue  to  be  explored  such  as  crowdfunding34  and  private 
funding from sponsorship, foundations, and private-public partnerships. 

Professionals in the cultural and creative sectors require a broad mix of digital, traditional, 
transversal  and  specialised  skills.  The  New  Agenda  builds  on  ongoing  policy  work, 
particularly on entrepreneurial35 and heritage skills. 

The New Agenda prioritises a cross-sectoral approach to EU collaboration, as digitisation 
and  co-creation  continue  to  break  down  artistic  and  economic  boundaries.  This  will  be 
complemented  by  specific  initiatives  in  the  most  mature  sectors,  to  support  more 
effectively the rich diversity of European cultural expressions.  

27  Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor, 2017 
28  2016 ENRD Factsheet on Arts and Culture in Rural Areas 
29   Natura 2000 case studies linking cultural and natural heritage 
30  European Creative Hubs network, 2016-18 
31  European Cluster Panorama 2014. 
32  http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/map 
33  Routes4U: Joint Programme of the Commission and Council of Europe on cultural routes in macro-regions 
34  Crowdfunding4Culture  
35  Including through European Entrepreneurship and Digital Competence Frameworks (EntreComp, DigComp) 

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The Commission will: 

  Support  the  validation  phase  of  the  project  "Teaching,  assessing  and  learning 
creative and critical thinking skills in education" of the Organisation for Economic 
Co-operation  and  Development  (OECD),  with  a  view  to  including  a  creativity 
module in the Programme for International Student Assessment 2021; and explore 
possibilities for similar work in higher education and training (2018) 

  Promote music and the arts in education and training, including as a priority theme 
in  Erasmus+  (2019),  and  promote  the  development  of  creativity  oriented 
interdisciplinary  modules  in  higher  education 
institutions,  combining  arts, 
information  and  communication  technology,  entrepreneurial  and  business  skills 
(2018) 

  Continue  to  support  regions  implementing  Smart  Specialisation  and  macro-
regional  strategies  focused  on  culture  and  promote  sustainable  cultural  tourism 
through a dedicated European initiative in the European Year 

  Support  partnerships  between  creative  professionals  and  industries  and  European 
incubation networks for creativity-driven innovation integrating creativity, art and 
design with cutting-edge technology and science 

  Carry  out  a  pilot  project  fostering  stronger  partnerships  between  cultural  and 
creative  sectors,  local  authorities,  social  partners  and  education  and  training 
providers (2018) 

  Explore  a  European  Institute  of  Innovation  and  Technology  Knowledge  and 

Innovation Community on cultural heritage and creative industries  (2019) 

  Organise a regular dialogue with cultural and creative sectors  in the context of the 
renewed  Industrial  Policy  Strategy,  to  identify  policy  needs  and  underpin  a 
comprehensive policy framework at EU level 

  Organise  a  regular  dialogue  with  the  music  sector  and  carry  out  the  Preparatory 

Action "Music Moves Europe" 

  Strengthen  dialogue  with  the  European  audiovisual  industry,  including  through 

European Film Forum events (2018) 

  Support  Member  States  in  ensuring  fair  remuneration  for  artists  and  creators 
through  general  and  sector-specific  dialogues,  in  line  with  the  Digital  Single 
Market Strategy (2019) 

The Commission invites Member States to: 

  Commit  to  improving  the  socio-economic  conditions  of  artists  and  creators  and 

promoting arts education and training under the next Work Plan  

4.3 External dimension - Strengthening international cultural relations 

  Support culture as an engine for sustainable social and economic development  

  Promote culture and intercultural dialogue for peaceful inter-community relations  

  Reinforce cooperation on cultural heritage  

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With  the  2016  Joint  Communication  "Towards  an  EU  strategy  for  international  cultural 
relations"36,  the  EU  has  established  a  framework  for  cultural  cooperation  with  partner 
countries. This is fully in line with the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and 
Promotion  of  the  Diversity  of  Cultural  Expressions,  to  which  the  EU  and  all  Member 
States are Parties37. The Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security 
Policy38 has identified cultural diplomacy as a new field for EU joined-up external action. 
The  New  European  Consensus  on  Development39  recognises  the  role  of  culture  as  an 
important component and enabler.  

The Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security 
Policy  (the  High  Representative)  and  their  services  -  including  the  European  External 
Action  Service  (EEAS)  -  fully  support  ongoing  work  within  the  Council  to  draw  up  a 
comprehensive step-by-step approach to international cultural relations. Action by the EU 
brings  synergies  and  added  value40,  especially  in  light  of  the  expanded  role  of  EU 
Delegations.  Cultural  focal  points  in  EU  Delegations  are  being  trained  on  the  cultural 
dimension of development and external relations, to better disseminate best practice and 
meet the needs and expectations of local partners. 

The New Agenda enables culture to be promoted more effectively as a vector of identity 
and  cohesion,  a  driver  of  socio-economic  development,  and  a  factor  directly  nurturing 
peaceful  relations,  including  through  the  people-to-people  contacts  resulting  from 
education  and  youth  projects,  with  a  particular  focus  on  the  Western  Balkans  and 
Enlargement countries41. The Commission also plans to use the Agenda to emphasise the 
cultural  dimension  of  sustainable  development  and  to  help  implement  the  UN  2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development.  
The 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage3 - to which the Western Balkans are fully 
associated - is a unique opportunity to strengthen cultural ties with partner countries and 
local cultural sectors. Partnerships born during the Year should continue afterwards as part 
of  EU  cultural  cooperation  and  a  new  European  Action  Plan  for  Cultural  Heritage. 
Projects  are  also  ongoing  or  about  to  start  in  conflict-afflicted  zones,  to  protect  and 
rehabilitate damaged cultural heritage, promote job creation and better livelihoods 

The Commission and the High Representative will: 

  Promote  the  cultural  and  creative  sectors  in  the  Western  Balkans  through 
strengthened support from Creative Europe and envisage using the Instrument for 
Pre-Accession Assistance to support culture in the Enlargement countries and the 
Western  Balkans,  particularly  in  implementing  the  related  flagship  initiatives  of 
the Action Plan in Support of the Transformation of the Western Balkans 

  Envisage  launching  a  third  phase  of  the  Eastern  Partnership  Culture  programme, 

and strengthen civil society through culture in Mediterranean countries 

  Launch a Preparatory Action on European Houses of Culture in partner countries 

  Strengthen  the  dialogue  on  culture  with  China  and  launch  a  new  dialogue  with 

36  JOIN/2016/029 
37  http://en.unesco.org/creativity/; latest EU report available here. 
38  EU Global Strategy 
39  Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future, 2017 
40   Including through the new EU Cultural Diplomacy Platform  
41   COM(2018)65 

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Japan 

 

Implement  the  11th  European  Development  Fund  Intra-ACP  culture  programme 
for  African,  Caribbean  and  Pacific  countries,  complementing  actions  in  all  other 
relevant  EU  programmes,  to  support  job  creation,  identity  building,  vocational 
training,  audiovisual  cooperation  and  the  implementation  of  the  UNESCO  2005 
Convention in these countries  

  Develop  strategies  for  cultural  cooperation  at  regional  level,  starting  with  the 
Western Balkans, the Middle East and North African region and Latin America 

  Add  cultural  heritage  protection  to  the  tasks  of  Common  Security  and  Defence 
Policy missions, where appropriate, building on ongoing missions and projects 

  Support Silk Road Heritage corridors in Central Asia, Afghanistan and Iran 

The Commission invites Member States to: 

  Cooperate  in  developing  joint  activities  with  the  Commission,  the  High 
Representative and their services, including the European External Action Service. 

5.  Cross-cutting actions 

While most actions in the New Agenda contribute primarily to one of the three objectives  - 
social, economic and international relations - many aspects are transversal. Two large areas of 
policy actions at EU level - cultural heritage and digital – will serve all three objectives.  

5.1 Protecting and valorising cultural heritage 

The 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage has made a resounding start, with thousands 
of  activities  taking  place  across  Europe.  The  Commission  is  contributing  directly 
focussing  on  ten  main  themes42  under  four  core  objectives:  Engagement,  Sustainability, 
Protection, and Innovation. These will result in recommendations, principles and toolkits 
to ensure the positive legacy of the Year, and contribute to the New Agenda. 

At the conclusion of the European Year the Commission will: 

  Present  an  Action  Plan  for  Cultural  Heritage,  and  ask  Member  States  to  draft 
similar Plans at national level and follow up the 10 European initiatives through the 
Council Work Plans for Culture 

  Propose  to  incorporate  outcomes  of  the  Year  into  future  EU  programmes  and  

Cohesion Policy  

  Support the enforcement of the future EU Regulation on the import of cultural goods 
through  an  Action  Plan  on  illicit  trade  in  cultural  goods  and  establish  a  science-
policy stakeholder social platform on endangered cultural heritage  

5.2 Digital4Culture 

The digital revolution enables new and innovative forms of artistic creation; broader, more 
democratic access to culture and heritage; and new ways to access, consume and monetise 
cultural  content.  To  reflect  these  developments,  the  Commission  is  preparing  a  new  EU 
Digital4Culture strategy to build on the copyright, audiovisual and broadcasting proposals 

42   The 10 European initiatives are key themes for cross-sectoral policy action, including education, illicit trade, 

quality principles for restoration, sustainable cultural tourism, skills and innovation. 

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under the Digital Single Market strategy and plant the seeds for future actions under the 
next Multiannual Financial Framework of the Union.  

The Commission will: 

  Create a network of competence centres across the EU to safeguard knowledge of 

endangered heritage monuments through large-scale digitisation (2019) 

  Create an online directory of European films and launch the first EU Film Week to 

make European films available to schools across Europe (2019) 

  Set up a pan-European network of Digital Creative and Innovation Hubs to support 

digital transformation (2020) 

  Propose  next  steps  for  Europeana,  Europe's  digital  platform  for  cultural  heritage 

(2018)  

  Launch  pilot  mentoring  schemes  for  audiovisual  professionals  –  in  particular 
female ones – to  help new talents develop their career paths and abilities (2019) 

  Stimulate cross-overs and collaboration between art and technology for sustainable 

innovation on industrial and societal levels (2018) 

6.  Implementing the New Agenda 

Respecting the principle of subsidiarity, the EU’s role is to provide incentives and guidance to 
test new ideas and support Member States in advancing a shared agenda. In some areas there 
is clear scope to do more, through strategic orientations, enhanced working methods and pilot 
activities. 

6.1. Cooperation with Member States 

The New Agenda should be implemented through Work Plans and working methods - such 
as the Open Method of Coordination - endorsed by the Member States.  

To increase impact, the Commission proposes also to focus on concrete implementation at 
national, regional or local levels, through joint projects part-financed by EU instruments, 
offering peer-learning and technical assistance to Member States, or to regional and local 
authorities designated by Member States.  

The Commission invites Member States to consider the following topics for joint work: 

  Participatory governance on heritage, in collaboration with the Council of Europe 

  Quality principles for heritage interventions and restoration  

  Access to finance and innovation capacity in cultural and creative sectors 

  Scaling up culture and heritage projects supported by EU programmes  

6.2. Structured dialogue with civil society 

The Commission plans to  broaden the current  structured dialogue43, going  beyond topics 
examined  under  the  Open  Method  of  Coordination,  making  more  of  online  collaboration 
opportunities, and opening up to relevant organisations outside cultural and creative sectors 

43  www.voicesofculture.eu. 

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on a case-by-case basis. It will also propose a more active role for civil society in preparing 
the biennial European Cultural Forums.  

7.  Promoting culture through EU policy and programmes 

Creative  Europe  and  its  successor  programme  will  play a  direct  role  in  supporting  the  New 
Agenda, and the Commission will improve synergies between projects and policy activities. 
The  Digital4Culture  strategy  will  strengthen  coherence  between  cultural,  digital  and 
audiovisual  initiatives.  The  Commission  will  also  support  the  societal,  economic  and 
international objectives of the New Agenda through actions in other policy areas and other – 
current and future  - EU policies and interventions will complement and support the cultural 
policies of Member States. 

8.  Next steps 

The  New  European  Agenda  for  Culture  is  a  key  part  of  the  Commission’s  response  to  the 
mandate from the December 2017 European Council. It offers a framework for the next phase 
of cooperation at EU level to  address current societal challenges through the transformative 
power  of  culture.  A  new  approach  is  proposed  within  a  holistic  vision,  fostering  synergies 
across cultural sectors and with other policy fields. The successful implementation of the New 
Agenda and the actions therein require a close cooperation with  and the involvement  of the 
European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the  Member  States,  as  well  as  the  culture  sector 
stakeholders. 

Policy collaboration under the New Agenda will be supported in 2019 and 2020 by Creative 
Europe  and  other  EU  programmes  funding  cultural  projects,  and  from  2021  by  successor 
programmes under the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework. 

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