REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the cultural dimension of sustainable development in EU actions
Date: 2022-12-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: EU policy, EU programme, cultural policy, culture, sustainable development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 9.12.2022  COM(2022) 709 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the cultural dimension of sustainable development in EU actions  
 
 
Contents 
1.  Context .................................................................................................................................................. 1 

2.  Strengthening the interplay between cultural policies and sustainable development ........................... 2 

3.  Culture and the SDGs in EU policies and programmes ........................................................................ 4 

A. Cultural policy.......................................................................................................................................... 4 

B. Regional and urban policy ........................................................................................................................ 9 

C. Home affairs and internal security ......................................................................................................... 11 

D. Employment, social affairs and inclusion .............................................................................................. 12 

E. Justice, consumer rights and gender equality ......................................................................................... 13 

F. The New European Bauhaus and its horizontal dimension for culture-driven sustainability ................. 14 

G. EU international partnership and development policy ........................................................................... 15 

H. Neighbourhood and enlargement policy ................................................................................................ 17 

I. Education and youth policies ................................................................................................................... 18 

J. Single market and industrial policies ...................................................................................................... 19 

K. Research and innovation ........................................................................................................................ 20 

L. Digital economy and society .................................................................................................................. 22 

M. Climate action and environmental policy .............................................................................................. 23 

N. Agricultural policy ................................................................................................................................. 26 

O. Defence industry and space policies ...................................................................................................... 26 

P. Union Civil Protection Mechanism ........................................................................................................ 27 

4.  Conclusions: the way ahead ................................................................................................................ 28 

1.  CONTEXT 

Sustainable  Development  Goals  (SDGs)  are  interlinked  with  several  policy  fields.  The  European 
Commission is fully committed to delivering on all different dimensions of sustainable development1. On 
the role of culture, the Commission emphasised the cultural dimension of sustainable development in the 
2018  New  European  Agenda  for  Culture2  and  committed  to  using  it  to  help  implement  the  UN  2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development3.  

In its Resolution on the Cultural Dimension of Sustainable Development4 of December 2019, the Council 
confirmed  the  Member  States’  commitment  to  sustainability  as  well  as  to  the  full  and  rapid 
implementation  of  the  UN  2030  Agenda.  The  Council’s  Work  Plan  for  Culture  2019-20225  was  then 

1   Commission staff working document (2020), Delivering on the UN’s sustainable development goals – a 

comprehensive approach.  

2   COM/2018/267 final 
3     https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/ 
4   OJ C410, 6 December 2019. 
5   Council conclusions amending the Work Plan for Culture (2019-2022) 

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amended  in  May  2020  to  include  ‘Culture  as  a  driver  for  sustainable  development’  as  an  additional 
priority. Under this priority, the work plan provides for two corresponding actions: (i) an Open Method of 
Coordination  (OMC)  group  of  Member  State  experts  on  the  cultural  dimension  of  sustainable 
development set up in 2021, which delivered its report in September 20226; and (ii) an invitation to the 
Commission to present an action plan on the cultural dimension of sustainable development. 

This report is the Commission’s response to the invitation. It advocates an EU policy approach on the 
cultural  dimension  of  sustainable  development  that  builds  on  a  stronger  and  more  consistent 
connection between cultural policies and SDGs’ implementation across EU initiatives, programmes 
and actions and across different sectors.  

It provides an overview of EU policies and programmes that reinforce the interplay between culture and 
sustainable development and identifies actions undertaken or planned by the Commission, with a view to 
propel  culture  as  a  driver  or  enabler  of  the  UN  2030  Agenda.  It  also  embraces  strategic  cross-cutting 
initiatives such as the Horizon Europe Mission on climate-neutral and smart cities7 or the New European 
Bauhaus8 that permeate several policy areas and programmes.  

There is an increased demand for the full and effective recognition of culture as a key sector contributing 
to the SDGs and to Europe’s sustainable recovery after the COVID-19 crisis. The parallel process of the 
OMC group, marked by  close cooperation with UNESCO and international players9, has confirmed the 
need for increased effective collaborations among national, EU and UN authorities and systems. 

The debate and results from MONDIACULT 202210 – the UNESCO conference on cultural policies and 
sustainable development held in Mexico on 28-30 September 2022 – have further inspired and informed 
discussions on the future of SDGs and created additional momentum for reflection on a more prominent 
role for culture in sustainable development strategies. This report contributes to this reflection process and 
builds on the ambitions of the conference’s Declaration for Culture. 

2.  STRENGTHENING  THE  INTERPLAY  BETWEEN  CULTURAL  POLICIES  AND  SUSTAINABLE 

DEVELOPMENT 

The  most  important  strategic  EU  actions  for  delivering  on  the  SDGs  include  an  intrinsic  cultural 
dimension,  despite  the  lack  of  a  specific reference to  culture.  For  instance,  deeply transformative  EU 
policies and key strategies such as the European Green Deal and the overarching approach to make 
Europe fit for the digital age, as presented in the chart below, rely on a strong contribution from 
the cultural and creative sectors (CCS) and on their diversity at local, regional and national levels. This 
report aims to make this understanding tangible. 

Furthermore, as stressed by the recommendations of  both the OMC group  on the cultural dimension of 
sustainable development and the OMC group on cultural heritage resilience to climate change11, culture 

6   OMC report Stormy times: Nature and humans – cultural courage for change: 

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0380f31c-37c9-11ed-9c68-01aa75ed71a1/language-en  

7     https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-

calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/climate-neutral-and-smart-cities_en 

8     The New European Bauhaus is a creative, participatory and transdisciplinary initiative that connects 

the European Green Deal to our living spaces and experiences: https://new-european-
bauhaus.europa.eu/index_en 

9   2021 was declared the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. 
10    https://www.unesco.org/en/mondiacult2022 
11    OMC report Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-

detail/-/publication/4bfcf605-2741-11ed-8fa0-01aa75ed71a1/language-en 

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and  cultural  policies  should  be  used  more  systematically  to  tackle  major  contemporary  issues 
relating to climate change and the European Green Deal goals. For example, the climate neutrality target 
of the  Horizon  Europe  climate-neutral and smart cities  mission  promotes  citizen  engagement,  inclusion 
and social innovation.  

The  preparatory  discussions  leading  up  to  MONDIACULT  organised  around  five  thematic  areas12  also 
helped  pave  the  way  towards  a  better  understanding  of  the  intrinsic  and  cross-cutting  cultural 
dimension of sustainable development and the need for a more  strategic approach to  culture and 
sustainable development for the future. MONDIACULT’s final declaration reiterates this commitment. 
It calls for further action to strengthen public policy frameworks by anchoring culture more prominently 
to  sustainable  development  strategies  at  global  level  and  across  all  the  SDGs  dimensions  of  social, 
economic  and  environmental  development.  In  the  same  spirit,  the  OMC  group  on  the  cultural 
dimension  of  sustainable  development  has looked  at  these three  dimensions  and  strongly  advocates the 
overarching  theme  of  re-forging the  relationship  between  humans  and  nature while  leveraging the 
underused power of culture13. 

Overview of the Commission’s approach to implementing the SDGs14 

12   Investing  in  culture  and  creativity  for  job  creation  and  socio-economic  development;  Promoting  cultural 
diversity in digital environment and advancing the status of artists; Safeguarding and promoting the diversity of 
cultural;  heritage  for  social  inclusion,  dialogue  and  peace;  Strengthening  synergies  between  culture  and 
education  for  human-centred  development  and  sustainability;  Regional  and  global  partnerships  for  culture  and 
sustainable development. 

13    According  to  Eurostat,  the  registered  value  of  cultural  goods  exports  and  imports  is  around  1%  of  the  EU’s 
overall  value  of  (extra-EU)  exports  and  imports  in  total  goods.  In  absolute  terms,  in  2020,  exports  of  cultural 
goods beyond the EU accounted for EUR 17.5 billion, and imports of such goods to the EU amounted to EUR 16 
billion.  The  EU  Statistics  on  Income  and  Living  Conditions  (EU-SILC)  includes  data  on  social  and  cultural 
participation  that  will  be  available  at  the  second  half  of  2023.  Eurostat  has  gathered  statistics  related  to  the 
cultural sector on a dedicated section at its website (Overview - Culture). 

14   Commission  staff  working  document  (2020),  Delivering  on  the  UN’s  sustainable  development  goals  –  a 

comprehensive approach. 

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3.  CULTURE AND THE SDGS IN EU POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES 

The cultural dimension of sustainable development is being promoted under a range of EU policies and 
programmes (A-O). For each EU policy, this section describes the relevant policy framework  and main 
priorities as well as the strategic actions or initiatives. The aim is to support societal changes and mitigate 
the effects of green and digital transitions. 

A. Cultural policy  

Policy framework and main priorities 

The EU actions in the field of culture directly contribute to all dimensions of the SDGs, in line with the 
strategic guidance of the main framework documents:  

 
 
 

the New European Agenda for Culture; 
the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage15; 
the  multiannual  work  plans  for  culture  or,  for  external  action,  the  2016  joint  communication 
Towards an EU strategy for international cultural relations16 and the 2019 Council conclusions 
on an EU strategic approach to international cultural relations and a framework for action17. 

EU  policy  action  and  cooperation  in  this  field  focuses  on  harnessing  the  power  of  culture  and  cultural 
diversity for social cohesion and well-being by: 

  promoting cultural participation, the mobility of artists and the protection of cultural heritage; 
  boosting  jobs  and  growth  in  the  cultural  and  creative  sectors  through  arts  and  culture  in 

 

education, promoting skills and innovation in culture; 
strengthening international cultural relations through culture to promote sustainable development 
and peace.  

The  need  to  preserve  and  promote  the  intrinsic  value  of  culture  and  of  artistic  expression  is  also 
highlighted  in  the  guiding  EU  cultural  policy  documents.  However,  the  strategic  framework  for  EU 
cooperation  and  policymaking  on  culture  can  still  be  strengthened  (as  the  Commission’s  report  on  the 
Work Plan for Culture 2019-202218 pointed out) and the cultural dimension of sustainable development 
highlighted. 

On the funding side, the 2021-2027 Creative Europe programme19, the only EU programme that targets 
the cultural and creative sectors, supports the EU’s commitment towards the UN SDGs, in particular their 
cultural dimension, under all three programme strands. Creative Europe invests in actions that reinforce 
cultural  diversity  and  respond  to  the  needs  of  the  cultural  and  creative  sectors.  Both  greening  and 
inclusiveness are horizontal priorities of the entire programme, and there is an ongoing reflection on 
greening the Creative Europe programme further. Creative Europe helps make the Green Deal tangible by 
rewarding cultural projects that address sustainability and environmental aspects strategically and in the 
CCS. 

15   European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-

/publication/5a9c3144-80f1-11e9-9f05-01aa75ed71a1  

16   JOIN/2016/029 final: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=JOIN%3A2016%3A29%3AFIN 
17   OJ 2019/C 192/04   
18   COM/2022/317 final 
19   Creative Europe 

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The  programme’s  cultural  strand  covers  CCS’  initiatives  such  as  those  that  promote  cross-border 
cooperation,  platforms,  networks  and  literary  translations. These  include  mechanisms  to  ensure  that  the 
CCS offer diversity, inclusion and equality for all and contribute to climate action. Calls under the 2021-
2027  programme  that  support  European  networks  and  cooperation  projects  have  included  as  a  specific 
priority the contribution of the projects to the sustainability agenda. The previous programme (2014-
2020)  paved  the  way  to  the  promotion  of  grassroots  and  of  sustainable  practices  under  the  cultural 
strand20.  It  supported  a  large  number  of  projects  on  gender  equality,  sustainability  and  digitisation21. 
These have helped ease the environmental impact of the sectors’ activities, promote a sustainable urban 
and rural environment, develop new visions for the future and raise awareness. They tackle global issues 
at  local  or  regional  level,  including  among  others:  health  and  well-being22,  gender  equality23,  (food) 
production and consumption models24, water pollution25, sustainable housing26, as well as the reduction of 
inequalities between urban and rural areas27.  

In  the  current  programme’s  cultural  strand,  a  new  sectoral  approach  was  added  to  strengthen  the 
sustainability of specific sectors (cultural heritage, architecture, music, the book sector, design, fashion 
and  cultural  tourism)  and  to  help  them  become  among  other  things  greener,  more  resilient  and  more 
inclusive. This strand also supports the European Capitals of Culture initiative, which aims to promote 
the  diversity  of  cultures  in  Europe,  highlight  the  common  elements  they  share  and  boost  how  culture 
contributes  to  the  long-term  development  of  cities.  Cities  holding  the  title  embed  their  project  in  their 
overall strategy and increasingly include sustainable considerations as part of their endeavour, such as the 
promotion of greener cultural practices.  

On  the  external  side,  the  Cultural  Relations  Platform  supports  cooperation  between  European  and 
global  cultural  and  creative  sectors  by  increasing  the  capacity  of  EU  delegations  worldwide  (SDG  17 
Partnerships for the Goals) to engage with cultural operators and address key challenges through culture 
(SDG  8  Decent  work  and  economic  growth  and  SDG  11  Sustainable  cities  and  communities).  The 

20   There are many good examples of sustainability-focused actions funded under Creative Europe. For instance, the 
Culture Action Europe network developed the ‘Culture in Sustainable Cities. Learning with Culture 21 Actions’ 
programme,  in  partnership  with  the  international  organisation  United  Cities  and  Local  Governments.  This 
programme  aims  to  provide  opportunities  for  cities  to  participate  in  a  learning  process  so  they  can  evaluate, 
design and implement cultural policies that contribute to local sustainable development. 

21   For more details, see the brochure available at: https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/aebc62b7-

8fa5-11ec-8c40-01aa75ed71a1/language-en  

22   The  ‘Birth  cultures’  project,  for  example,  aimed  to  preserve  and  transmit  traditional  birth  and  maternity 
knowledge and practices as part of European intangible cultural heritage. It demonstrated how culture can have a 
leverage effect on citizens’ engagement in public health issues.  

23   Many  funded  projects,  such  as  ‘Keychange’,  work  towards  a  restructuring  of  cultural  sectors  in  reaching  full 

gender equality, equal pay, equal working conditions and visibility for female professionals in the sector.  

24   Projects such as ‘Creative food Cycles’, ‘The Table and the territory’ and ‘The Mediterranean garden’ explored 
and  prototyped  new  food  production,  distribution  and  consumption  models,  exploring  alternatives  to  the 
mainstream food production chain. By doing so, they raise awareness of the loss of biodiversity.  

25   The ‘Universal Sea – Pure or plastic’ project aimed to reveal the opportunities of art meeting entrepreneurship 

while promoting creative solutions to the plastic epidemic in seas and oceans. 

26   The Architects’ Council of Europe network works towards the achievement of affordable and quality housing at 
European  level.  Thanks  to  its  lobbying  capacity,  geographical  spread  and  extensive  policy  work,  the  network 
helps promote the common good and quality of life and puts people and nature at the core of housing and urban 
developments in Europe and at national level. 

27   ‘Smoties – Creative works with small and remote places’ employs design-thinking methodologies to transform 
remote European places into more liveable spaces by involving local residents in the development of cultural and 
creative activities. ‘Cultures for resilience’ strengthens the action of a range of actors (citizens, administrations, 
local associations) working on environmental and urban resilience issues. 

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platform  also  organises  an  annual  Global  Cultural  Relations  programme,  bringing  together  40  young 
cultural  leaders  and  professionals  from  around  the  world  (SDG  10  Reduced  inequalities  and  SDG  5 
Gender equality).  

In the field of Media and Audiovisual, the 2021-2027 Creative Europe programme has introduced two 
horizontal  priorities:  greening  the  audiovisual  industry  and  diversity  and  inclusion  for  the  audiovisual 
sector.  Greening  and  diversity  have  been  introduced  in  the  call  for  proposals  of  all  schemes  of  the 
Creative Europe  MEDIA strand. Applicants should present a strategy  for their greening practices and a 
strategy for promoting diversity and inclusion in their activities. These strategies are evaluated as part of 
the  award  criteria.  The  projects  selected  under  the  2021  and  2022  work  programmes  have  provided 
indications on how the audiovisual companies and organisations are dealing with these policy priorities. 
Among  the  projects  selected,  ‘TheGreenShot’,  first  digital  solution  with  a  real  time  interface  for  film 
commissions  to  connect  with  productions  shooting  in  their  region  or  cities  and  the  Green  Charter  for 
Festivals, supported in the context of the festival network call of 2022 and initiated by the Moving Images 
Open  Border  network  of  festivals  are  worth  mentioning.  The  Charter  is  an  instrument  to  calculate  the 
CO2 footprint of festivals, with the purpose to create awareness on one side and set common goals for 
sustainability. 

Moreover, the cross-sectoral programme strand supports transnational policy cooperation and contributes 
to  the  implementation  of  the  New  European  Bauhaus  initiative  to  reinforce  the  programme’s  green 
dimension.  

A new European Parliament pilot project for a European Heritage Hub will also contribute to the green 
transition and the fight against climate change and environmental degradation28. 

Strategic actions or key examples 

o  Commission-led works on the status and  working conditions of artists and cultural and creative 
professionals (EU study, Voices of Culture dialogue & report,  OMC Member State expert group’s 
upcoming report and recommendations in 2023) that are aimed at addressing key issues ranging from 
the  status  of  artists,  fairness  and  public  support,  as  well  as  the  regulatory  environment  and  social 
security, to topics such as skills development and freedom of artistic expression.  

o  Measures  on  climate  change  and  cultural  heritage.  The  Commission  organised  the  work  of  a 
Member States’ expert group on Strengthening Cultural Heritage Resilience for Climate Change. The 
group’s report was issued in September 2022. It identifies good practices and innovative measures to 
protect  cultural  heritage,  both  tangible  and  intangible,  in  relation  to  climate  change.  This  includes 
recommendations  on  the  contribution  that  cultural  heritage  can  make  to  mitigating  and  combating 
climate change in line with the Green Deal. The Commission also launched a study on the greening 
of  the  Creative  Europe  programme.  It  aims  to  investigate  how  environmental,  sustainable  and 
proportional measures can be introduced in the programme to boost its contribution to climate action 
and biodiversity mainstreaming.  

o  Actions to address the  effects of digital transformation on  cultural and artistic diversity, that is 
business  models,  relationships  with  audiences  and  the  shift  in  conception,  production  and 
consumption modes. At the end of 2021, the Commission started working with experts to explore the 
possibility  of  voluntary  guidelines  for  collecting  and  managing  data  on  digital  audiences,  with  a 

28   The  call  for proposals  launched  under  the  pilot  project  includes  the  following  priority:  contribute  to  the  green 
transition and the fight against climate change and environmental degradation: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-
tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/pppa-cult-2022-
euheritagehub;callCode=null;freeTextSearchKeyword=;matchWholeText=true;typeCodes=1 

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special  focus  on  performing  arts  and  cultural  heritage.  The  ‘(Re)-Engaging  digital  audiences  – 
Improving Audience Data’ report of June 202229 takes stock of the lessons learned from COVID-19-
related  practices.  Furthermore,  against  the  background  of  the  Cultural  Heritage  Expert  Group30, 
digitisation  and  cultural  heritage  have  also  been  discussed,  focusing  on  digital  learning  from 
COVID-19.  It  addressed  capacity-building  experiences  to  move  exhibitions,  education  programmes 
and artefacts online, and the issue of audiences experiencing online cultural fatigue.  

o  The  Commission’s  Music  Moves  Europe  initiative  (MME)  is  another  example  that  supports  the 
social  and  economic  dimensions  of  sustainable  development.  MME  is  aimed  at  strengthening  the 
music  sector’s  best  assets:  creativity,  diversity  and  competitiveness.  Its  specific  objectives  are  to 
promote  creativity  and  innovation, safeguard and expand  the  diversity  of  European  music, help  the 
sector adapt to digitisation and support its sustainability, especially after the COVID-19 crisis. Under 
MME,  the  Commission  has  been  working  towards  an  integrated  approach  that  covers  targeted  EU 
funding  (under  Creative  Europe  and beyond), policy  support,  legislation  and  dialogue  on  the  needs 
and challenges of Europe’s music sector. Several recent calls have focused on sustainability-related 
actions. As from 2023, MME will promote sustainable music distribution.  

o  Other  sector-specific  examples 

for  Green 
Environmental Shift project (STAGES – Sustainable Theatre Alliance) and the European Theatre 
Convention Network, which aim to have a structuring effect on the sector and green its value chain.  

the  Sustainable  Theatres  Alliance 

include 

o  A  tailor-made  scheme  for  artists  and  professionals  to  facilitate  their  cross-border  mobility  – 
Culture  Moves  Europe31.  A  scheme  that  awards  mobility  grants  to  individuals’  projects  aimed  at 
international  collaboration,  professional  development,  co-production  and  co-creation,  where  artists 
and creators are incentivised to consider the environmental impact of their mobility and choose more 
sustainable means of transportation. Artistic residencies within the scheme can implement projects in 
line with the values of the New European Bauhaus. 

o  The  tool  Perform  Europe,  launched  in  2021  to  support  innovative,  inclusive  and  sustainable 

distribution, and touring models in the performing arts sector.  

o  Gender equality in culture32; the Commission funded a study on gender gaps in cultural and creative 
sectors published in September 202033. An OMC Member States’ working group on gender equality 
in the CCS delivered its final report, including several recommendations to policymakers, cultural and 
educational  institutions  in  June  202134.  CCS’  representatives  met  under  the  ‘Voices  of  Culture’ 
structured dialogue to discuss gender balance in the CCS, publishing their report in February 202035. 

29   https://voicesofculture.eu/2022/06/02/brainstorming-report-re-engaging-digital-audiences-challenges-and-

opportunites/ 

30   Expert group on cultural heritage | Culture and Creativity (europa.eu) 
31   https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe/creative-europe-culture-strand/culture-moves-europe-mobility-for-

artists-and-
professionals#:~:text=Culture%20Moves%20Europe%20is%20a%20scheme%20that%20supports,It%20is%20p
art%20of%20Creative%20Europe%E2%80%99s%20Culture%20strand  

32   The  Commission  supports  gender  equality  in  culture  through  Creative  Europe  (for  example  the  ‘Keychange’ 
project and the ‘MEWEM’ mentoring programme). In addition, the new 2021-2027 Creative Europe programme 
requires funded projects to adequately address inclusiveness and non-discrimination, with a particular focus on 
gender equality. 

33   https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/92d621d1-bb99-11ec-b6f4-01aa75ed71a1/language-

en/format-PDF/source-266388294 

34   https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/36e9028b-c73b-11eb-a925-01aa75ed71a1/language-en 
35   https://voicesofculture.eu/2019/05/14/gender-balance-in-the-cultural-and-creative-sectors/ 

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In  addition,  Presidency  Conclusions  on  gender  equality  in  the  field  of  culture36  were  adopted  in 
December 2020.  

o  Actions in the field of  culture and well-being, an important and emerging issue, in particular after 
the  COVID-19  crisis.  The  Commission  is  implementing  a  preparatory  action  from  the  European 
Parliament  entitled  ‘Bottom-up  policy  development  for  culture  and  well-being  in  the  EU’.  The 
project,  carried  out  by  a  consortium  of  European  partners  for  a  period  of  1.5  years,  focuses  on 
updating research on this topic, mapping the most relevant existing practices, building the capacity of 
local players to effectively benefit from culture to increase well-being and health, with a special focus 
on mental health. There has also been a recent study by ESPON on cultural heritage as a source of 
societal well-being in European regions37. The objective is to develop a pan-European methodology 
and territorial analysis of the impacts of cultural heritage on society, taking into account aspects such 
as  well-being  and  social  inclusion.  Cultural  heritage  as  a  key  asset  in  preventing  crises  and 
building peace (SDG 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions). The deliberate destruction of cultural 
heritage is widely recognised as a possible indicator or precursor of future mass violence, as it is used 
to  eradicate  the  history  and  artefacts  that  are  central  to  a  population’s  culture  and  identity.  When 
conducted  systematically  and  on  a  large  scale, the  deliberate  destruction  of  cultural  heritage is  also 
defined in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as a war crime. The destruction of 
cultural  heritage  has  played  a  prominent  role  in  the  ongoing  conflicts  in  Syria,  Iraq  and  Mali. 
Examples include the 2012 attacks on the shrines and mausoleums of Timbuktu by Islamist groups in 
the northern regions of Mali. The Council Conclusions on the EU approach to cultural heritage in 
conflicts  and  crises  and  the  dedicated  EU  concept  provide  a  clear  political  and  operational 
framework for a more coherent and visible EU approach to cultural heritage for peace (SDG 16, SDG 
8 Decent work and economic growth, SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities). In concrete terms, 
the  EU  commits  to  a  conflict-sensitive,  inclusive,  equal  and  non-discriminatory  approach.  On  the 
current situation in Ukraine, the Commission supports the preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage 
by providing emergency protective equipment and supporting the digital documentation of Ukrainian 
cultural  heritage.  The  Commission  also  supports  Ukrainian  artists  and  cultural  professionals.  For 
example, in September 2022, as part of Creative Europe, it launched a call to support artists outside of 
their  country,  cultural  organisations  in  Ukraine,  and  to  prepare  for  the  post-war  recovery  of  the 
Ukrainian cultural sector in the medium term.  

o  The preparatory action European Spaces of Culture (2019-2023), implemented by the EU National 
Institutes  for  Culture  (EUNIC),  is  testing  innovative  collaboration  models  in international cultural 
relations  (SDG  17  Partnerships  for  the  goals,  SDG  10  Reduced  inequality)  by  establishing  equal 
partnerships between European (EUNIC members and EU delegations) and local partners in countries 
outside  the  EU around  transversal  priority  topics. These  projects  connect  cultural  relations  to 
sustainable development, for instance by advocating climate action in Brazil and Mongolia (SDG 13 
Climate action), supporting local cultural sectors recovering from the consequences of the pandemic 
in Tanzania and Cameroon (SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth), improving access to culture 
for  disabled  communities  in  China  and  Uruguay  (SDG  10  Reduced  inequalities)  and  innovating  in 
digital transformation in Mexico.  

Upcoming actions:  

-   Possible  Commission  initiative  on  an  EU  strategic  framework  for  culture  (following  up  on  the 

Council’s invitation in the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-202638); 

36   https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13097-2020-INIT/en/pdf 
37   https://www.espon.eu/HERIWELL 
38   Council resolution on the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026, 29 November 2022; st15381-en22.pdf 

(europa.eu)  

8 

 
 
                                                      
-  EU study on greening the Creative Europe programme, to be published in 2023;  

-  Annual  report  on  progress  in  implementing  the  Concept  on  cultural  heritage  in  conflicts  and 
crises:  A  component  for  peace  and  security  in  European  Union’s  external  action  and  the  dedicated 
Council Conclusions; 

-    EU as Guest of Honour at Guadalajara International Book Fair, 25 November - 3 December 2023, 

will feature culture and sustainable development as one thematic focus. 

-    Training  for  skills  development  foreseen  for  audiovisual  professionals  to  assess  and  set  out  green 
productions. Greening is also a pillar of the Europa Cinemas network which  will support innovative 
projects among mini networks of cinemas to promote sustainability in the exhibition sector.   

B. Regional and urban policy 

Policy framework and main priorities 

EU  cohesion  policy,  in  particular  through  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF),  has 
traditionally  recognised  cultural  investments  as  key  drivers  of  territorial  development  and  social 
cohesion.  Europe’s  rich  cultural  heritage  strengthens  European  identity,  promotes  common  European 
values, active citizenship, inclusion and intercultural dialogue. Cultural and creative sectors and industries 
are a vital asset for regional economic competitiveness and attractiveness, while cultural heritage is a key 
element in the image and identity of cities and regions and is often the focus of urban tourism.   

EU  cohesion  policy  allows  Member  States,  regional  and  local  authorities  to  use  culture  as  a  lever  for 
territorial economic and social development, inclusion and innovation, where communities and territories 
can  exploit  endogenous  domestic  cultural  assets  to increase  growth,  while  reducing  inequalities.  ERDF 
support  to  culture  and  cultural  heritage  is  based  on  the  idea  of  place-based  and  integrated  approaches, 
supporting territorial and urban development, social inclusion and encouraging the public to participate.  

For 2021-2027, cohesion policy will focus on sustainability and the digital enhancement of cultural 
heritage  experiences.  It  includes  the  transformation  and  future  resilience  of  CCS,  as  well  as  the 
promotion of cultural heritage to the highest standards to integrate social inclusiveness, sustainability and 
citizen  participation  through  culture.  The  cultural  and  creative  sectors  and  industries  can  benefit  from 
investments  under  all  five  Cohesion  policy  objectives  –  including  through  the  new  ERDF  specific 
objective39 dedicated to strengthening culture’s role in addressing socio-economic challenges or as part of 
integrated  territorial  strategies  under  Policy  Objective  5  “A  Europe  closer  to  citizens”  -  within 
programmes  under  the  “Investment  for  growth  and  jobs  and  growth”  and  “European  Territorial 
Cooperation  (Interreg)”  pillar  goals.  In  addition,  it  is  possible  to  support  culture  under  the  Interreg 
specific  objective,  in  particular  ‘better  cooperation  governance’.  Cross-border  cooperation  around 
cultural and natural heritage is often beneficial as many natural heritage sites are cross-border by 
nature.  Collaborating  across  borders  allows  for  an  integrated,  sustainable  approach  to  for  example 
pilgrimage routes, sustainable trails through natural heritage sites and much more.  

Strategic actions and key examples 

Within this framework, the  Cohesion Policy funding scope of support for the cultural dimension of 
sustainable development includes the following actions:  

39   As a novelty in the 2021-2027 period, Cohesion Policy has introduced an ERDF specific objective focused on 
enhancing  the  role  of  culture  and  sustainable  tourism  in  economic  development,  social  inclusion  and  social 
innovation under Policy Objective 4 “A more social and inclusive Europe”, which offers a wide scope of support 
with no disregard towards funding possibilities under other EU cohesion policy Objectives.  

9 

 
 
                                                      
o  Measures  targeting  the  cultural  sector  enhancing  the  role  of  culture  and  sustainable  tourism  in 
economic development, social inclusion and social innovation, taking into account the need of culture 
and tourism sectors’ digital and green transformation, resilience and  long-term environmental, social 
and financial sustainability. 

o  Measures  on  innovation  and  uptake  of  new  technologies  for  culture;  support  the  growth  and 
competitiveness  of  SMEs  in  the  cultural  sector;  development,  testing  and  piloting  of  new  digital 
services, products and solutions (e.g. for the digitisation of culture heritage), or the development of 
skills for smart specialisation (when culture is a sector chosen within the smart specialisation strategy 
of the region or Member State).  

o  Measures  to  support  energy  efficiency,  renewable  energy,  waste  management,  circular  economy, 
green infrastructure and climate change adaptation to reduce the environmental and climate footprint 
of the cultural and creative industries and cultural sites in line with relevant strategic frameworks. 

o  Support  to  sustainable  transport  infrastructure  contributing  to  sustainable  tourism  and  access  to 

culture as part of relevant transport plans. 

o  Measures  that  promote  culture  through  territorial  and  urban  development  strategies  under  the 
responsibility  of  territorial  authorities  and  with  the  involvement  of  local  stakeholders  and  local 
communities. For cities and functional urban areas, 8% of funding is earmarked for sustainable urban 
development, where culture can be a main driver. 

o  The selection of 20 project proposals that will receive assistance and expertise to  incubate inspiring 
place-based transformative New European Bauhaus projects. Projects selected cover different themes 
such as: regeneration of buildings/public spaces in a spirit of circularity, preserved and transformed 
cultural heritage, affordable housing solutions and integrated regeneration of urban and rural spaces40.  

o  Six innovative actions in the field of culture and cultural heritage selected as part of the 5th call for 

urban innovative actions41.  

o  The  European  Urban  Initiative  –  Urban  Innovative  Actions  first  call  that  will  focus  on  the  New 

European Bauhaus, including the preservation and transformation of cultural heritage. 

o  A pilot project for the safeguard and promotion of culture in the EU Outermost regions (OR)42 as well 
as the Overseas Countries and Territories: The aim is to promote the rich cultural heritage of these 
regions and territories through conferences, exchanges, events and exhibitions to disseminate artistic 
creations and to support cultural exchanges through the mobility of professionals in the cultural and 
creative sectors. 

o  Under the intergovernmental work of the Urban Agenda for the EU, one of the 14 partnerships is on 
culture and cultural heritage. The Partnership on Culture & Cultural Heritage aims to improve the 
management of the historic built environment of European cities, promote culture, and preserve the 
quality of urban landscapes and heritage.  

o  A new partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU will focus on the topic of sustainable tourism. 

o  Besides  the  funding  support  available  under  mainstream  and  cooperation  programmes,  culture  and 
sustainable  development  is  also  well  recognised  in  the  EU  macro-regional  strategies.  The  EU 

40   New European Bauhaus local initiatives: https://c.ramboll.com/local-support-new-european-

bauhaus?utm_source=direct-email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nebop . 

41   https://uia-initiative.eu/en/theme/culture-and-cultural-heritage 
42   The EU counts nine outermost regions, home to 4.8 million citizens: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, 
Mayotte, Reunion Island and Saint-Martin (France), Azores and Madeira (Portugal), and the Canary Islands 
(Spain). In accordance with Article 349 of the TFEU, specific provisions in EU legislation help these regions 
address the major challenges they face due to their remoteness, insularity, and small size. 

10 

 
 
                                                      
Strategy for the Danube Region; the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region; the EU Strategy for 
the  Alpine  Region;  the  EU  Strategy  for  the  Adriatic  and  Ionian  Region.  All  these  actions  and 
goals  are  important  from  the  general  regional  and  overall  EU  policies  on  culture  and  sustainable 
development  as  they  create  links  and  synergies  between  programmes  and  initiatives,  as  well  as 
between stakeholders from EU countries and partner/non-EU countries.  

o  Integrating  the  New  European  Bauhaus  in  Member  States’  cohesion  programmes  is  a 
priority during the ongoing 2021-2027 programming negotiations. The initiative is being considered 
as an objective in the strategic partnership agreements and relevant operational programmes of 
each Member State. 

Upcoming actions:  

-    Launch  the  European  Urban  Initiative  –  Urban  Innovative  Action  call  on  the  New  European 

Bauhaus in autumn 2022; 

-   Continue  to  support  culture  and  cultural  heritage  in  European  Territorial  Cooperation  (Interreg) 

programmes and macro-regional strategies; 

-   Launch the new partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU, focusing on tourism. 

C. Home affairs and internal security 

Key priorities and strategic actions 

Theft  and  looting  of  cultural  heritage  sites  and  trafficking  cultural  objects  is  a  major  international 
business, and a lucrative source of income for organised crime, and sometimes for terrorists and conflict 
parties.  Cultural  goods  are  particularly  vulnerable  to  trafficking  in  conflict  and  crisis  regions,  such  as 
Ukraine and the Middle East. The activity can result in total or partial destruction of the items stolen or 
looted  as  well  as  cultural heritage  sites,  religious  buildings,  archaeological  sites  etc. These  have  strong 
value for identity of the local population, since they preserve historical, cultural and social memory, often 
even  in  its  original  place  of  creation.  Well-protected  cultural  heritage  contributes  to  the  development 
process  by  creating  opportunities  for  education  and  jobs,  space  for  dialogue  between  diverse  social 
groups, and increasing the voice of marginalised communities and their sense of belonging.  

The destruction of cultural heritage can thus significantly damage the collective memory of a society, but 
also  take  away  a  community’s  income  source,  for  example  in  case  of  destruction  of  tourist  attractions 
(cultural heritage sites, museums, etc.), 

In line with the EU Security Union Strategy 2020 and the EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime 2021–
2025, the Commission is currently developing an action plan tackling trafficking in cultural goods. The 
aim is to tackle cultural goods trafficking and to protect cultural goods from destruction through criminal 
harm. Against this background, the action plan will address various aspects of the fight against trafficking 
in cultural goods, including capacity building of law enforcement and judicial authorities to better detect 
and punish trafficking cases, enhancing traceability of cultural goods, improve the protection of cultural 
goods from trafficking and looting, and cooperation with third countries where looting takes place, with 
particular attention for countries in conflicts and crises. Further aspects include awareness raising for the 
need to protect cultural goods and the harm that cultural goods trafficking can cause to cultural heritage.  

11 

 
 
 
 
Upcoming actions:  

-   Leveraging social goals and economic added value by combating crime and illicit trade and facilitating 

sense of ownership by cultural communities. 

-   Adopting  an  Action  Plan  on  tackling  the  illicit  trade  in  cultural  goods,  in  2022,  to  address  the 
various aspects of the fight against cultural goods trafficking and the protection of cultural goods from 
criminal harm. 

D. Employment, social affairs and inclusion 

Policy priorities and strategic actions 

One of the key framework initiatives is the Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities43. It aims 
to achieve further progress in ensuring the full participation of persons with disabilities, including in the 
area of culture. It will guide the action of Member States as well as EU institutions.  Accessibility is an 
enabler of rights and a prerequisite for the full participation of persons with disabilities on an equal basis 
with others. In line with the strategy, a relevant goal for culture would be to target the accessibility of 
cultural  events  and  cultural  products  and  promote  artwork  by  persons  with  disabilities.  The 
strategy aims to make progress on all areas of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons 
with  Disabilities44,  to  which  the  EU  and  all  EU  Member  States  are  parties.  This  is  a  legally  binding 
human rights instrument that sets minimum standards for the rights of persons with disabilities.  

The  Commission  has  set  up  a  framework  to  monitor  the  implementation  of  the  strategy.  This  will  also 
provide input for the European Semester, the EU Social Scoreboard and the implementation of the SDGs. 
By 2023, new disability indicators will be developed, supporting the indicators for the Social Scoreboard, 
the European Semester and SDGs.  

As  part  of  the  strategy,  the  Commission  promotes  and  raises  visibility  of  artwork  by  persons  with 
disabilities. It also strives to make cultural heritage and all  cultural activities accessible to persons with 
disabilities through support from EU funding such as the Creative Europe programme. The Commission 
also:  

- 

- 

supported  a  study45  as  part  of  the  large-scale  project  Europe  Beyond  Access46,  exploring  the 
(lack  of)  knowledge  among  mainstreaming  cultural  managers  of  a)  the  work  of  artists  with 
disabilities,  b)  how  to  make  their  programmes  accessible  to  them,  and  c)  how  to  make  their 
programmes accessible to persons with disabilities;  

promotes  the  development  of  accessible  tourism  mainly  by  cities  via  the  European  Capital  of 
Smart Tourism Award.  

The strategy aims to ensure that persons with disabilities can take part  in cultural life on an equal basis 
with others, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Commission 
calls  on  Member  States  to  promote  and  encourage  culture  and  creative  activity  as  well  as  arts  for 
persons  with  disabilities  and  raise  awareness.  This  will  make  them  visible  through  exhibitions  and 
performances, and make more performances, festivals, art collections and museums accessible to persons 

43   Union of equality: Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030 – Employment, Social Affairs & 

Inclusion – European Commission (europa.eu) 

44   https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html 
45   Time to Act: How lack of knowledge in the cultural sector creates barriers for disabled artists and audiences – 

Disability Arts International 

46   Europe Beyond Access – Disability Arts International 

12 

 
 
                                                      
with disabilities. The EU Disability Card was put in place as a pilot project in 2016-2018 in eight Member 
States (Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Malta, Romania and Slovenia) and even after its end, the 
Card  remains  in  place  and  is  recognised  in  these  eight  countries.  The  Study  assessing  the 
implementation of the pilot action on the EU Disability Card and associated benefits47 identified the 
potential for a larger scale action and brought evidence that among others, there was a relatively modest 
increase in cultural, leisure, sport participation, and tourism abroad. The Commission intends to scale up 
the EU Disability Card. 

Furthermore, in the context of the European Pact for Skills, a new partnership to promote skills in cultural 
and creative industries has been set up in 2022. 

Upcoming actions: 

-    Ongoing Commission campaign48 Together for Rights (until March 2023) to raise awareness on key 
aspects  of  the  strategy,  which  includes  culture,  and  is  developed  in  consultation  with  persons  with 
disabilities and their representative organisations as well as artists. 

-   Commission’s proposal, by the end of 2023, to extend the European Disability Card with a view to be 
recognised in all Member States, building on the experience of the ongoing EU Disability Card pilot 
project and upon the European parking card for persons with disabilities. 

-    Further  development  and  promotion  of  sectorial  partnerships  within  the  Pact  for  Skills  under  the 

European Year of Skills 2023. 

E. Justice, consumer rights and gender equality 

Policy framework, main priorities and current measures 

The Commission adopted the EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation 
in  2020.  It  sets  out  a  comprehensive  three-pillar  approach  that  complements  social  and  economic 
inclusion with promoting equality and strengthening participation.  

This framework includes EU-level objectives and quantitative headline targets  on fighting antigypsyism 
and  discrimination,  reducing  poverty  and  social  exclusion,  promoting  participation  and  increasing 
effective  equal  access  of  Roma  people  to  education,  employment,  health  and  housing.  In  the  area  of 
culture,  it  includes  the  operational  objective  of  promoting  awareness  of  Roma  history,  culture, 
recognition  and  reconciliation.  Indicators  for  this  objective  could  be linked  to  awareness  among  the 
general population of Roma history, literature, arts, culture, music and politics, participation of the 
general  population  in  Roma  cultural  festivals  and  other  public  events,  knowledge  about  the  Romani 
language, and awareness about the Roma Holocaust. 

Member  States  have  confirmed  their  commitment  to  promoting  Roma  equality  and  inclusion  by 
unanimously adopting the Council Recommendation on Roma equality, inclusion and participation. It sets 
out specific measures for them to include in their national Roma strategic frameworks. These measures 
include raising awareness of Roma history and culture among teachers and school staff, promoting social, 
economic, political, cultural and civic participation of Roma people, and promoting awareness of Roma 
cultures, language and history in society, including remembering the Roma Holocaust. 

47   https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8407&furtherPubs=yes 
48   https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1556 

13 

 
 
                                                      
 
The Commission promotes positive narratives and Roma role models and is raising awareness of Roma 
history and culture, including an event to raise awareness about the Romani language as part of the 2022 
EU  Romani  Week  hosted  by  the  European  Parliament.  It  also  supports  relevant  activities  under  the 
Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme49. 

More broadly, activities are ongoing to implement the EU action plan on anti-racism and in the field of 
inter-faith  dialogue,  particularly  through  the  EU  strategy  on  combating  antisemitism  and  fostering 
Jewish life. 

Upcoming actions: 

-   Member  States  to  implement  their  national  Roma  strategic  frameworks  by  2030,  including 

measures to promote awareness of Roma art, history and culture; 

-   Commission  to  publish its assessment  of  the  national  strategic frameworks in  autumn  2022,  take 
stock  of  the  commitments  made  by  Member  States  and  provide  guidance  on  any  improvements 
needed; 

-  Continue to support activities to raise awareness of Roma history and culture, and promote truth 

and reconciliation under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme;  

-  Continue  to  support  activities  to  raise  awareness  of  Jewish  life  and  heritage  in  the  light  of 

Holocaust remembrance under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme. 

F.  The  New  European  Bauhaus  and  its  horizontal  dimension  for  culture-driven 
sustainability 

In recent years, the need to tackle the major challenge of climate change together with the effects of the 
coronavirus  pandemic  has  emerged.  The  systemic  importance  of  culture  and  the  cultural  and  creative 
sectors to respond to potentially disruptive effects of the green and digital transition as positive enactors 
for sustainable societal transformation has been confirmed.  

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is a transversal initiative that aims to deliver on the green transition 
by addressing global challenges through place-based and innovative solutions. These combine the values 
of sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics. This triangle ensures that the intended solutions simultaneously 
address  a  range  of  dimensions.  These  cover  not  only  environmental,  affordability  and  accessibility 
aspects, but also needs and aspirations beyond functionality in order to ensure quality of experience for 
all. The innovative potential of the initiative lies within the multi-level, participatory and transdisciplinary 
approaches that need to be embedded in co-creation and implementation processes. This engages many 
policy areas, disciplines and actors to jointly develop new ways of working towards the transformation of 
all  aspects  of  citizens’  lives:  places  on  the  ground,  products,  services,  ecosystems,  mind-sets  and 
behaviours.  The  communication  on  the  NEB50  highlights  the  fundamental  role  of  culture  in  addressing 
sustainability challenges and supporting positive societal transformation. Artists and cultural actors play a 
crucial role in the paradigm shift towards new behaviour and values.  

The communication also mentions the intention to create an enabling NEB framework with the SDGs and 
with relevant EU policies and initiatives. Almost 2 years after its launch, the initiative has been integrated 

49   Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme | European Commission (europa.eu) 
50   Communication from the Commission on the New European Bauhaus 

14 

 
 
                                                      
across EU policies and programmes (Horizon Europe, LIFE, ERDF, Digital Europe, Erasmus+, Creative 
Europe, European Solidarity Corps and the Single Market programme).  

The initiative brings together a diverse, vibrant and constantly growing community of over 500 partners 
and contributors from network organisations, local  non-governmental organisations (NGOs), businesses 
and public authorities. As one of the key instruments established by the New European Bauhaus, the NEB 
Lab sets the scene as a test bed for innovative collaboration models. The NEB community works together 
to  create  tools,  frameworks  and  enabling  conditions  for  the  green  transition  to  trigger  tangible 
transformation and innovative solutions on the ground. Since April 2022, eight actions have already been 
started in the NEB Lab, three of which were launched by the NEB community itself. 

Strategic actions and key examples 

Among  the  range  of  NEB  actions  that  contribute  to  the  delivery  of  SDGs,  the  following  are  worth 
highlighting: 

o  Six  projects  selected  under  the  call  for  the  development  of  ‘lighthouse  demonstrators’  to  deal  with 
topics  such  as  building  renovation,  circularity,  arts,  cultural  heritage,  education,  smart  cities,  urban 
and rural regeneration and more. As they are spread across Europe, the projects will provide a range 
of results that can be adapted and replicated in similar activities in Europe and beyond, to help inspire 
future projects. 

o  The NEB Lab is a virtual space where the NEB community comes together to propose concrete and 
tangible projects. NEB Lab projects have two objectives: a) create enabling conditions for the green 
transition; b) trigger tangible transformation on the ground. The NEB Lab follows a Commission-led 
agenda,  which  is  currently  visible  in  five  Commission-led  projects51.  It  also  hosts  community-led 
initiatives and is currently supporting the first batch of innovative projects from the NEB community, 
focusing on concrete changes in specific places.  

Upcoming actions: 

-  Further support the NEB initiative by mobilising EU funding programmes; 
-  Encourage bottom-up initiatives from the NEB community, including through the NEB Lab;  
-  Progressively develop dialogue and cooperation with non-EU countries by sharing and trialling the 

NEB concept beyond the EU. 

G. EU international partnership and development policy 

Policy framework and main priorities 

The Commission’s work in the field of international partnerships is guided by the Joint Communication 
Towards an EU strategy for international cultural relations. It identifies three main areas of action: 

  promoting  intercultural  and  inter-faith  dialogue  to  improve  cultural  pluralism  and  mutual 

 
 

understanding, respect for diversity, equality and human rights; 
supporting CCS that offer opportunities for economic growth and job opportunities; 
facilitating cultural heritage cooperation that brings communities and people together, strengthens 
their sense of identity and supports sustainable tourism.  

51   The Commission-led projects are: Labelling Strategy; Pilot for joint funding with philanthropy; Crowdfunding 

and public funding; Regulatory analysis and experimentation; Transformation of Places of Learning. 

15 

 
 
 
                                                      
The  Commission  has  been  actively  working  on  projects  and  actions  that  have  a  strong  impact  on  the 
economic dimension of development. 

Strategic actions and key examples 

Key examples include: 

-  Support to 2030 UNESCO indicators 

The  project  carries  out  pilot  activities  to  define  and  develop  a  framework  of  thematic  indicators,  the 
UNESCO Culture|2030 indicators. The aim is to measure and monitor the role and contribution of culture 
to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda. 

The project tests and improves the thematic indicators that will be used by countries and cities wishing to 
highlight  the  contribution  of  culture  to  sustainable  development  in  their  voluntary  national  reports  and 
voluntary local reviews. The project’s results will be shared in international fora to ensure a broad uptake 
by all stakeholders. 

Other ongoing initiatives include, among others: 

-  Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) - supports 
culture  and  sustainable  development  initiatives  for  partners  outside  the  EU  at  the  national, 
regional, global levels; 

-  ACP-EU  Culture  Programme  supports  artists  and  artworks  from  countries  of  the  African 

- 

Caribbean and Pacific Group of States; 
Innovative  Financing  Initiative  for  Culture  -  supports  the  cultural  and  creative  industries 
(CCIs) in accessing finance and improving entrepreneurial capacities; 

-  Silk  Road  Heritage  Corridors  in  Afghanistan,  Central  Asia  and  Iran  –  International 
Dimension of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, a joint collaboration launched by the 
EU  and  UNESCO  in  October  2018,  to  strengthen  the  contribution  of  culture  to  sustainable 
development,  through  heritage-based  tourism  development  for  high-quality  visitor  experiences 
along the Silk Roads heritage corridors in the beneficiary countries; 

- 

-  Procultura –  promoting employment and  income generation  in the cultural  sub-sectors  of 
Music,  performing  arts  and  children/youth  literature  and  publishing  in  lusophone  Africa 
(PALOP countries) and Timor Leste; 
Identity Building and Sharing Business Initiative - tackling some of the root causes of fragility 
and  irregular  migration  by  strengthening  productive  sectors  contributing  to  identity  building  – 
like cultural and creative sectors and industries –  and by addressing the value chains of lifestyle 
markets and by sharing the product of their creativity through access to new markets; 

-  CreatiFI supports the cultural and creative industries to access finance, through guarantees and 
loans,  and  capacity  building  for  financial  intermediaries  in  the  countries  from  the  African, 
Caribbean and Pacific Group of States; 

-  EU-UNESCO  Expert  Facility  –  the  project  supports  technical  assistance  and  peer-to-peer 
mechanisms  for  sharing  knowledge  and  best  practices  in  order  to  strengthen  policies  and 
institutional  environments  for  cultural  and  creative  industries;  it  aims  to  provide  sustainable 
systems of governance for culture, helping develop cultural and creative industries that contribute 
to inclusive social and economic development and poverty reduction. 

16 

 
 
Upcoming actions: 

-    Support  to  cultural  policies  and  institutional  environments  for  cultural  and  creative  industries, 

gathering evidence for the development of cultural thematic indicators and policies; 

-   Support to cultural cooperation between Africa and Europe and to cultural heritage in Sub-Saharan 

Africa for sustainable development, peace, jobs and growth. 

H. Neighbourhood and enlargement policy 

Policy framework and main priorities 

The New European Agenda for Culture stresses that the promotion of culture and intercultural dialogue 
should  be  used  as  drivers  of  cohesion  and  socio-economic  development.  In  line  with  the  Joint 
Communication  Towards  an  EU  strategy  for  international  cultural  relations,  culture  and  intercultural 
dialogue  play  key  roles  in  promoting  reconciliation.  This  translates  into  diverse  policy  documents  for 
each of the Neighbourhood regions. 

The  regional  multiannual  indicative  programme  for  the  Southern  Neighbourhood  has  included  –  under 
priority  area  1)  Human  development,  good  governance,  and  rule  of  law  –  specific  objective  4  –  To 
support culture as a requirement for human development and better quality of life. The EU will support 
culture as an essential element of community life and key component of the community-building process.  

Likewise, the New European Agenda for Culture provides that the Commission will promote cultural and 
creative sectors in the Western Balkans, including by using the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, 
as well as develop cultural cooperation strategies at regional level, starting with the Western Balkans. 

The  communication  A  credible  enlargement  perspective  for  and  enhanced  EU  engagement  with  the 
Western Balkans (‘Western Balkans strategy’) highlights that regional cooperation and good neighbourly 
relations in  the  Western  Balkans  are  essential  preconditions for  progress  on  a  European  accession  path 
and  to  promote  socio-economic  development  in  the  region  through  culture.  Boosting  cooperation  in 
culture with and within the region is one of the actions in support of flagship initiative 6 of the Western 
Balkans strategy.  

For the Eastern Partnership, in the joint staff working document Recovery, Resilience and Reform: post-
2020 Eastern Partnership priorities published in July 2021, the proposed priority ‘Investing in people and 
knowledge’ identifies the following objectives:  

-  Maximise the potential of the cultural and creative industries as engines for social economic 

development; 

-  Strengthen  cultural  cooperation  and 

intercultural  dialogue, 

including  by 

increasing 

participation in Creative Europe, EU4Culture and other initiatives. 

Strategic actions and key examples 

o  Thaqafa Daayer Maydoor is a four-year regional programme (2020-2024) that promotes a cultural 

ecosystem across the Southern Neighbourhood. 

o  CREACT4MED  is  a  four-year  regional  programme  (2020-2024)  with  the  overall  objective  of 
strengthening the role of culture and creativity as a vector for employment and resilience.  It focuses 
on young people and women entrepreneurs in the Southern Neighbourhood. 

o  Creative  Europe  Window  for  the  Western  Balkans  aims  to  increase  the  financial  support  to 
Western Balkan cultural organisations by opening a dedicated window for the Western Balkans under 

17 

 
 
the  Creative  Europe  programme.  This  was  implemented  through  a  specific  call  for  proposals  that 
funded  projects  in  a  diversified  portfolio  of  sectors.  This  included  translation  and  publishing, 
architecture,  video  art,  painting  and  drawing,  theatre,  dance,  graphic  arts,  music,  intangible culture, 
museums or historical sites and buildings.  

o  The  Regional  programme  on  culture  and  creativity  in  the  Western  Balkans,  with  a  budget  of 
EUR 8 million and in line with the Western Balkans Strategy, aims to promote intercultural dialogue 
and strengthen the socio-economic impact of the cultural and creative sector in the Western Balkans.  

o  The  EU4Culture  project  aims  to  help  make  culture  an  engine  for  growth  and  social  development 
across the Eastern Partnership region. It supports the cultural sector’s increased role of as an engine 
for  economic  development.  Through  its  interregional  approach,  it  favours  greater  intercultural 
dialogue  and  knowledge  exchange  across  the  Eastern  Partnership  countries  and  improves  local 
governance in the culture sector. 

Upcoming actions:  

-   Ongoing  preparation  of  a  new  cultural  programme  for  the  Southern  Neighbourhood  for  2023, 

where the EU will support cultural workers as agents of community building. 

I. Education and youth policies 

The  Education  for  Climate  Coalition  is  a  bottom-up,  co-created  initiative  to  engage  the  education 
community at EU, national and local level. As a flagship initiative of the communication on achieving the 
European Education Area by 2025, it is a key instrument for effectively capturing and sharing initiatives 
and projects launched by the educational community to support the transition to climate neutrality. This 
relates  in  particular  to  developing  ‘green  skills’  and  changes  in  behaviour  and  establishing  links  with 
other initiatives, such as the Climate Pact or the New European Bauhaus.  

The  EU  Youth  Strategy  is  the  framework  for  EU  youth  policy  cooperation  for  2019-2027,  based  on 
the Council Resolution of 26 November 2018. Through its 11 youth goals and its three pillars (Engage, 
Connect,  Empower),  the  strategy’s  aim  is  the  meaningful  civic,  economic,  social,  cultural  and  political 
participation of young people. It supports the development of creativity among young people as well as 
their  access  to  culture  and  creative  tools.  It  also  aims  to  make  new  technologies  available  to  empower 
young people’s creativity and innovation, and boost interest in culture, the arts and science.  

The Commission supports these objectives through its funding programmes, policies and studies: 

o  Erasmus+ supports creativity and innovation in cooperation projects; 
o  European Solidarity Corps supports European cultural heritage through volunteering projects;  
o  Council Conclusions on access of young people to culture (November 2010); 
o  Council Conclusions on fostering the creative and innovative potential of young people (May 2012). 

In addition, 2022 is the European Year of Youth, shining a light on the importance of European youth to 
build a better future  – greener, more inclusive and digital. It gives young people opportunities to learn, 
share  their  visions,  meet  people  and  engage  in  activities  all  over  Europe.  It  contains  nine  policy  areas, 
including  ‘culture’,  with  for  example implementation of  the  flagship  initiative  ‘Youth discovers  culture 
thanks to DiscoverEU in 2022’. 

Strategic actions and key examples 

18 

 
 
o 

In close collaboration with the NEB, in February 2022 the Education for Climate Coalition launched 
a  joint  call  for  expressions  of  interest  for  educational  and  knowledge  venues  to  develop  their  own 
NEB projects, bringing together design, sustainability and new teaching approaches. 

o  Promote cultural heritage to young DiscoverEU travellers (Erasmus+), including DiscoverEU  meet-

ups across Europe. 

o  Adoption by the Council of the Commission’s proposal for a Council Recommendation on learning 
for environmental sustainability, in May 202252. This encourages countries to establish learning for 
the green transition and sustainable development as one of the priority areas in education and training 
policies and programmes.  

o  Strong  focus  on  the  green  transition  as  part  of  the  strategic  priorities  of  the  European  Education 
Area53  and  promotion,  in  the  EU  education  transformation  agenda,  of  the  STEAM  approach: 
integrating science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields with the arts54. 

Upcoming actions: 

-  Ensure follow-up to the European Year of Youth 2022; 
-  Continue  the  support  through  Erasmus+  and  European  Solidarity  Corps  programmes  towards 

culture, creativity and innovation, as well as facilitating learning about EU values and heritage; 

-  Further promote the flagship initiative Discover EU; 
- 

Increase  synergies  between  Education  for  Climate  coalition  and  other  relevant  policies  and 
initiatives for sustainability and climate action. 

J. Single market and industrial policies 

Policy framework and priorities 

The European industrial strategy and its update55 identify 14 industrial ecosystems, of which cultural and 
creative industries is one. The approach for the industrial ecosystems – which encompasses all public and 
private  players  operating  in  a  value  chain  (from  the  smallest  start-ups  to  the  largest  companies,  from 
academia  to  research,  service  providers  to  suppliers)  –  aims  to  help  cultural  and  creative  industries 
recover and scale, while taking advantage of the green and digital transition56.  

Strategic actions and key examples 

The WORTH  Partnership  Project57  is  particularly  relevant  as  it is  committed  to  the  development  of 
smarter,  more  sustainable  and  inclusive  growth  through  design  solutions  by  helping  SMEs  in 
lifestyle industries  find  green  and  inclusive  solutions  to improve  their  business processes,  products  and 
services. SMEs make up 99% of all companies in the EU and have created around 85% of new jobs in the 

52   https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9242-2022-INIT/en/pdf 
53   EUR-Lex - 52020DC0625 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu): COM/2020/625 final. 
54   In this context, ‘arts’ has a broad meaning, covering the creative arts, culture and languages but also humanities and 
social sciences. The idea is to boost interdisciplinarity and to highlight the relevance of STEM to environmental, 
cultural, economic and social challenges through real-world learning and teaching. 

55   https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-industrial-strategy_en and 
COM(2021) 350 final https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/communication-industrial-strategy-update-
2020_en.pdf. 

56   Annual Single Market Report 2021, pp. 98-104: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/swd-annual-single-

market-report-2021_en.pdf 

57   WORTH Partnership Project (europa.eu) 

19 

 
 
                                                      
last  few  decades. They  often  struggle  to  find  green, digital  and  more  inclusive solutions  and  to  remain 
competitive.  WORTH  therefore  provides  dedicated  SME  support  in  the  form  of  an  incubation 
programme58 to business partnerships between designers, manufacturers/craftsmen and tech providers to 
help  develop  new  business  ideas.  It  focuses  on  lifestyle  industries,  including  textile  and  clothing, 
footwear,  leather  and  fur,  furniture,  and  home  decoration,  jewellery  and  accessories.  The  business 
partnerships have to address challenges in line with SDGs such as circular/green economy or social 
innovation.  Since  2017,  the  Worth  Partnership  Project  has  already  supported  217 transnational 
partnerships and around 135 new partnerships will be supported by 2025. 

Besides, the Commission supports  cultural and  creative industries, in particular creative companies and 
entrepreneurs,  through  cross-sectorial  business  support  networks:  Enterprise  Europe  Network  (EEN)59 
and  Cluster  Collaboration  Platform60  (supporting  SMEs,  networking, 
internationalisation,  B2B 
matchmaking etc.). Specific actions boost skills, professionalisation and job-training through:  

  Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs61 (facilitating the exchange of entrepreneurial and management 

experience, supporting professionalisation, skills and on-the-job training); 

  Mobilising  stakeholders  to  set-up  a  large-scale  skills  partnership  for  the  cultural  and  creative 
industries ecosystem, launched on 28 April 2022 under the Pact for Skills62, involving over 100 
members  committed  to  up-skilling  workforce  and  attracting  talent  to  cultural  and  creative 
industries.  

Upcoming actions: 

Under the WORTH Partnership Project:   

-    Implement the mentoring programme for the selected 65 transnational partnerships (2022);  

-    Launch calls for expressions of interest to select new partnerships in 2023; 

-   Boost  skills  for  the  competitive  and  sustainable  development  of  cultural  and  creative  industries  in 

digital environments and for the green transition. 

K. Research and innovation 

Policy framework and main priorities 

The EU’s Horizon 2020 framework programme  (2014-2020) made available  EUR 77 billion in funding 
for research and innovation actions around its three priorities: Excellent science, Industrial leadership and 
Societal challenges; culture came primarily under the umbrella of ‘Societal challenges’. The 2021-2027 
Horizon Europe framework programme includes a dedicated research cluster on Culture, Creativity and 
Inclusive Society. Cluster 2 has a total budget of EUR 2.28 billion, with EUR 400 million available from 
2021-2022,  and  is  focused  on  3  intervention  areas,  all  relevant  to  SDGs:  democracy  and  governance, 
cultural  heritage  and  the  cultural  and  creative  industries,  and  social  and  economic  transformations.  It 
gives special attention to ‘supporting the emergence of new forms of cultural expression’.  

58   The  incubation  programme  includes  a)  financial  support;  b)  coaching  on  business  strategy  and  technology 
development;  c)  legal  advice  on  intellectual  property  rights  and  protection;  d)  participation  in  exhibitions  and 
tradeshows; e) networking and professional links; f) advice on financial/funding opportunities.  

59    Enterprise Europe Network | Enterprise Europe Network (europa.eu) 
60   Homepage | European Cluster Collaboration Platform 
61   https://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes/supporting-entrepreneurship/erasmus-young-entrepreneurs_en 
62   https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1534&langId=en and  https://pact-for-skills.ec.europa.eu/index_en 

20 

 
 
                                                      
Strategic actions and key examples 

Destination 2 on Cultural heritage and the cultural and creative industries invested more than EUR 
100 million in the 2021-2022 calls through three main pillars: green, digital and innovation actions, where 
culture is a driver of SDGs in different ways: addressing economic competitiveness and innovation, social 
cohesion  and  inclusion,  environmental  sustainability  and  climate  action.  Research  and  innovation 
activities  under  this  destination  aim  to  better  protect,  preserve  and  restore  European  cultural  heritage, 
promote arts and increase the competitiveness of the European cultural and creative industries by using 
greener and digitalised/cutting-edge technologies.  

The first 2021-2022 work programme included research actions where cultural and creative industries are 
drivers of innovation and where active involvement and engagement with  them in multidisciplinary and 
cross-sectoral research collaborations is required. Key topics included:  

  green technologies and materials for cultural heritage;  
  participatory management and sustainable financing of museums and cultural institutions; 
 
cultural and creative industries as a driver of innovation and competitiveness;  
  preserving & enhancing cultural heritage with advanced digital technologies; 
 
 
 
 
  games and culture shaping our society; 
 

traditional crafts for the future; 
a competitive, fair and sustainable European music ecosystem; 
international competitiveness of the European film-making industry; 
effects of climate change and natural hazards on cultural heritage; 

the New European Bauhaus – shaping a greener and fairer way of life in creative and inclusive 
societies through architecture, design and arts. 

Furthermore, the European Institute for Technology and Innovation (EIT) designated a  Knowledge and 
Innovation  Community  (KIC)  dedicated  to  the  cultural  and  creative  sectors  and  industries  (EIT 
Culture  and  Creativity)  on  22  June  2022.  It  will  bring  key  players  in  higher  education,  research  and 
business together to exploit the innovation potential of the  relevant sectors. The KIC will also facilitate 
the digital, green and social transition.  

In  addition  to  the  above-mentioned  cluster  and  actions  that  target  the  cultural  and  creative  sectors  and 
industries  under  Horizon  Europe,  there  are  also  interconnections  between  culture  and  sustainability 
research  goals  under  Cluster  5  on  Climate,  Energy  and  Mobility.  There  are  specific  topics  and 
dedicated actions to apply energy efficiency renovation strategies to historical buildings particularly under 
Destination 4 of this cluster. This focuses on Buildings and industrial facilities in energy transition and 
aims to achieve a more efficient and sustainable building stock through the renovation and modernisation 
of buildings. Furthermore, under Destination 4, the co-programmed partnership Built4people is intended 
to  fund  research  and  innovation  projects  for  a  ‘people-centric  sustainable  built  environment’,  bringing 
together public and private stakeholders to create research and innovation pathways towards sustainability 
and  better  living.  This  approach,  together  with  the  focus  on  sustainability,  brings  a  social  and  cultural 
dimension  to  the  activities  and  topics  funded  under  this  partnership,  very  much  in  line  with  the  NEB 
principles in the built environment (for example in relation to cultural heritage and quality of experience). 
Among  the  main  expected  impacts  of  Destination  4,  there  is  the  intention  to  achieve  a  higher  quality, 
more  affordable  and  inclusive  built  environment,  mitigating  climate  change  and  preserving  the 
environment,  safeguarding  cultural  heritage,  taking  sustainability,  circularity  and  aesthetics  into 
consideration,  while  ensuring  better  living  conditions.  Furthermore,  relevant  initiatives  related  to 

21 

 
 
‘Cultural  cities’63,  grounded  in  Horizon  2020  clustered  projects,  have  created  the  basis  for  several 
collaborative and community-led actions. These play a key role in transforming historic urban areas and 
promoting solutions to regenerate urban areas in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, 
the  Commission  coordinated  the  work  of  a  Horizon  2020  expert  group  on  ‘the  human-centred  city: 
opportunities  for  citizens  through  research  and  innovation’,  delivered  in  202064,  and  mapped  all  urban 
initiatives, including those addressing culture in the Yearly Mapping Report: EU research & innovation 
for and with cities (June 2021)65. 

Upcoming actions:  

Cluster 2 of Horizon Europe (Destination 2 on ‘Cultural heritage, cultural and creative industries’) 

-    Further  support  the  three  areas  of  green,  digital  and  innovative  actions,  with  a  view  to  the  UN 
SDGs,  in  particular  by  expanding  the  opportunities  for  digital  collaboration  and  co-creation 
meeting  the  needs  of  European  cultural  heritage  professionals  and  researchers  by  developing,  from 
2023  onwards,  a  European  Collaborative  Cultural  Heritage  Cloud  (ECCCH),  under  European 
jurisdiction;  

-   Restore and preserve cultural heritage will trigger the development of new environmentally friendly 
technologies  and methods  to make  Europe a  leader  in  the sustainable  management  of cultural 
heritage; 

-    Publish calls for proposals with topics on cultural and creative industries as drivers of an inclusive 
climate transition, while integrating the core NEB values of sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics, 
as well as topics relating to cultural tourism to  support the sustainable development of rural and 
remote areas; 

-    Develop  a  framework  for  a  holistic  approach  to  research  and  innovation  contributing  to  the 
environmental,  social  and  cultural  sustainability  of  cultural  heritage  on  a  scale  that  no  Member 
State or the European Commission could achieve alone. 

Cluster 5 of Horizon Europe 

-   Destination  4  will  include  a  topic  on  future-proofing  historical  buildings  for  the  clean  energy 

transition in the upcoming work programme. 

EIT – KIC on cultural and creative sectors and industries 

-    2023: EIT KIC Culture and Creativity start-up year66. 

L. Digital economy and society 

On  10  November  2021,  the  Commission  published  a  recommendation  on  a  common  European  data 
space  for  cultural  heritage.  It  aims  to  pave  the  way  for  a  common  European  data  space  for  cultural 
heritage, helping cultural heritage institutions accelerate their digitisation and preservation efforts, and to 
seize  the  opportunities  created  by  the  digital  transformation.  The  objective  is  to  boost  the  reuse  of 

63   Cf. the Horizon 2020 Manifesto of European Cities. 
64   https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/5b85a079-2255-11ea-af81-01aa75ed71a1/language-

en/format-PDF/source-search 

65   EU research & innovation for and with cities - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu) 

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/1a11dc10-edba-11eb-a71c-01aa75ed71a1/language-
en/format-PDF 

66   https://eit.europa.eu/eit-community/eit-culture-creativity 

22 

 
 
                                                      
 
digitised  cultural  heritage  assets,  notably  in  3D,  in  various  key  domains  such  as  education,  sustainable 
tourism  and  cultural  and  creative  sectors,  with  a  positive  impact  on  economic  growth.  The  common 
European  data  space for  cultural  heritage  will  build on  the  European  Digital  Service  Infrastructure  and 
expand its current functionalities. 

Cultural heritage assets digitised in 3D can be a source of relevant knowledge on climate-related impact 
and  adaptation  (for  example,  3D  allows  non-destructive  analysis  of  assets,  visualisation  of  damage  and 
information  for  restoration,  conservation,  etc.).  Likewise,  cultural  heritage  assets  in  3D  may  be  of  key 
importance in increasing resilience to climate change and supporting preventive conservation of cultural 
heritage monuments, buildings and sites.  

The data space for cultural heritage will also contribute to SDG 4 (Quality Education) as digital cultural 
heritage  assets  in  the  data  space  will  also  provide  multiple  perspectives  on  historical,  scientific  and 
cultural developments across Europe and beyond.  

Digitisation  of  cultural  heritage  assets  and  their  reuse  can  generate  new  jobs  not  only  in  the  cultural 
heritage sector  but also in other  cultural  and  creative sectors  (for  example  gaming  and film  industries), 
thereby contributing to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The data space for cultural heritage 
will  strengthen  collaborations,  partnerships  and  engagement  with  the  network  of  data  partners  (for 
example  museums,  galleries,  libraries,  archives  across  Europe),  aggregators  and experts  working  in  the 
field of digital cultural heritage, leading to economic growth. 

In  addition,  the  data  space  for  cultural  heritage  will  contribute  to  SDG  9  (Industry,  Innovation  and 
Infrastructure) as it will strengthen innovation and the creation of new services and applications through 
the use and reuse of the digitised cultural heritage assets in various key domains (for example education, 
smart  cities  and  environmental  modelling,  sustainable  tourism  –  alongside the  data space  for  tourism  – 
and  cultural  creative  sectors).  High-quality  digitised  cultural  assets  open  up  new  ways  of  digitally 
engaging  with  and  enjoying  cultural  content  through  co-curation,  co-design  and  crowdsourcing, 
empowering public participation.  

In the field of audiovisual policy, the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan adopted in December 202067 
has  launched  a  tool  for  a  common  methodology  on  CO2  calculators  for  audiovisual  productions 
across  the  European  audiovisual  industry  (action  6  on  greening  in  2023).  It  has  also  supported  an 
awareness campaign to promote diversity behind the camera in the audiovisual industry, helping it 
adapt to societal changes (action 8 in diversity).  

Upcoming actions: 

-  Deploy the data space for cultural heritage; 

-  Further implement the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan. 

M. Climate action and environmental policy 

Policy framework and key priorities  

The Commission launched the European Climate Pact in 2020 as part of the European Green Deal.  It 
aims  to  acknowledge  the  importance  of  bottom-up  action,  involving  citizens  from  all  generations  and 
local  communities  in  the  transition  to  a  resilient  and  climate-neutral  society.  Through  its  activities,  the 
initiative  aims  to  support  bottom-up  initiatives  by  providing  information  on  the  climate  transition, 
developing spaces for stakeholders and citizens to work together, and helping start new initiatives.  

67   IMMC.COM%282020%29784%20final.ENG.xhtml.1_EN_ACT_part1_v8.docx (europa.eu) 

23 

 
 
                                                      
Through the Climate Pact, citizens and communities can showcase their climate actions and make pledges 
to climate mitigation and adaptation via the ‘Count Us In’ platform.  

The  aim  of  these  tools  is  to  engage  with  citizens  to  co-create  local  climate  narratives,  taking  into 
consideration cultural heritage, background, and to prototype action together in the local community. The 
Climate  Pact  supports  co-creative  innovative  processes  for  local  communities,  such  as  policymakers’ 
engagement  with  citizens  to  empower  them  by  taking  on  a  facilitator  role  for  discussions  on  climate 
change  and  environmental  protection  in  cities.  The  value  added  of  the  Climate  Pact  is  to  foster 
collaboration  between  different  parties  (for  example  artists,  cultural  centres,  NGOs,  local  governments 
and businesses), to achieve common goals. 

Artists,  influencers,  mayors  and  any  citizen  committed  to  climate  action  can  become  a  Climate  Pact 
Ambassador to support the work already underway in their communities. Becoming an ambassador is a 
complementary avenue to inform, inspire and support climate action in local communities and networks. 

When  it  comes  to  environmental  policies,  the  transformational  change  in  our  societies  and  economies, 
needed to deliver the Green Deal, cannot happen without the buy-in of society as a whole. This requires a 
change  in  social  norms,  values  and  perceptions,  namely  a  change  of  culture,  as  acknowledged  by  the 
Green Deal priorities. Likewise, biodiversity awareness-raising work promotes nature literacy, empathy, 
solidarity  and  caring  for  nature,  as  well  as  interdisciplinary  approaches  to  help  people  understand  the 
interconnectedness of economic, social and natural systems.  

The  EU  landscape  features,  biodiversity  and  protected  nature  areas  (Natura  2000)  form  its  intangible 
heritage and are the foundation for our future. The latest Eurobarometer ‘Attitudes of Europeans towards 
Biodiversity’ reaffirmed that Europeans care deeply about nature and biodiversity and they expect the EU 
to act in order to safeguard them. In particular, the actions most mentioned as important involve restoring 
nature and biodiversity to compensate for damage, and better informing citizens about the importance of 
nature  and  biodiversity.  The  same  survey  also  shows  that  few  citizens  are  aware  of  the  Natura  2000 
network and the EU’s and its Member States’ efforts to protect them.  

This is why the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 underlines the importance of increasing awareness of 
biodiversity  knowledge  and  integrating  biodiversity  and  ecosystems  into  school,  higher  education  and 
professional training In the international negotiations for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, the 
Commission  insists  on  mentioning  the  importance  of  cultural  sectors  and  the  involvement  of  actors  in 
education, media and the arts and cultural sector. 

Strategic actions and key examples 

o  The European Green Capital (for bigger cities) and Green Leaf Awards (for cities below 100 000 
inhabitants)  and  their  focus  on  citizen  engagement  and  involvement  gives  ample  space  for  cultural 
and educational activities with the topic of sustainability. Financed under the LIFE Programme, the 
awards support the implementation of the Green Deal on the ground at urban level. Winning cities are 
at  the  forefront  of  the  green  transition  and  have  the  potential  to  be  a  role  model  for  others.  Green 
Capital  winners  (one  per  year)  receive  EUR  600 000  and  Green  Leaf  winners  (max.  two  per  year) 
EUR 200 000. The title supports and  encourages winning cities to organise a wide range of actions 
and  projects  during  the  year.  These  usually  include  educational  support  in  schools  or  for  young 
people,  art  and  sustainability  projects  for  citizens,  art  shows  that  interpret  art  and  environment 
protection,  etc.68  The  award  ceremonies  usually  include  cultural  events  and  presentations.  Cities 
report  that  the  title  brings  many  benefits,  including  increased  international  media  coverage,  greater 

68  For example, a camping project in the mountains to make young people aware of climate change: Une 

expérience inédite: bivouaquer à la Bastille! - J'agis - Je rêve (greengrenoble2022.eu). 

24 

 
 
                                                      
momentum in the city to continue to improve environmental sustainability or increased attractiveness 
as a tourist destination.  

o  Cooperation with natural history and science museums, botanical gardens, zoos and aquariums 
via  the  global  coalition  ’United  for  Biodiversity’.  Coordinated  by  the  Commission  since  March 
2020, the coalition brings together these institutions and organisations, and is also open to research 
centres  and  universities,  natural  reserves  and  protected  areas  worldwide,  and  museums  of  any 
category,  such as  art,  architecture  or  history  museums.  It  invites them  to join  forces  and raise  their 
voice  about  the  nature  crisis,  showing  the  importance  of  nature  for  humanity.  The  coalition  now 
covers  51  countries  and  territories,  creating  a  community  of  323  organisations,  national  parks  and 
protected  areas,  aquariums,  botanic  gardens,  zoos,  museums  (including  art  museums),  research 
centres  and  universities  to  support  the  political  momentum,  in  tandem  with  other  global  political 
coalitions for nature. 

o  Education toolkit on nature protection: As part of a broader project to raise awareness of the need 
for nature protection, this toolkit for educators helps them engage with teenagers on nature protection 
in Europe. It offers a range of activities, either indoor or outdoor, grouped around four modules: (i) 
how do we relate to nature; (ii) exploring Europe’s nature; (iii) how we protect nature in Europe; and 
(iv)  engaging  in  nature protection.  Many  activities  are  supported  by  data  and information  available 
from  the  European  Education  Area  databases  and  viewers.  The  toolkit  is  available  in  all  EU 
languages69.  Expected  results  include:  raising  awareness  among  the  teenage  population;  helping 
understand EU nature protection policies, nature directives and Natura 2000, and encouraging young 
people to engage in nature protection. 

o  Synergies  between  the  protection  of  Natura  2000  sites  and  cultural  heritage:  As  one  of  the 
outputs  of  the  EU  action  plan  for  nature,  people  and  the  economy  and  also  as  a  follow-up  to  the 
European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, the Commission published the report Natural and cultural 
heritage  in  Europe:  Working  together  within  the  Natura  2000  network70.  The  report  explores  the 
spatial  overlaps  between  natural  and  cultural  sites,  discusses  their  common  threats  and  challenges, 
and  the  opportunities  available  under  different  EU  funds  to  kick-start  joint  nature  and  culture 
initiatives.  It  also  sets  out  recommendations  on  how  the  challenges  can  be  overcome  and  how  to 
promote integrated management and associated socio-economic benefits. 

The Commission has published a story map that allows users to explore how Natura 2000 and World 
Heritage sites overlap71. A series of case studies has also been collected to show practical examples of 
different facets of successful integrated management of natural and cultural heritage in Natura 2000 
sites72.  One  of  the  main  outcomes  of  such  integration  could  be  increased  capacity  of  cultural  and 
natural heritage sites to attract visitors. This can in turn have a cascading effect on the local economy 
through new opportunities for sustainable tourism, business and development around the sites. This 
can lead to a better acceptance of limitations linked to natural and cultural heritage site protection. 

Upcoming actions:  

-  Launch the awareness-raising campaign on sustainable textiles in the light of the EU strategy for 
sustainable  and  circular  textiles  to  pioneer  the  EU  role  in  addressing  challenges  of  creative  sectors 
(design,  textiles  and  fashion)  as  well  as  the  importance  of  making  textiles  and  fashion  in  the  EU 
circular;  

69   https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/e33a1119-8fa2-11ec-8c40-01aa75ed71a1/language-en 
70   Natural_and_Cultural_Heritage_report_2019_WEB.pdf (europa.eu). 
71   Explore Natura 2000 (arcgis.com). 
72   Europe’s cultural and natural heritage in Natura 2000 - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu) 

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-  Emphasise  the  environmental,  economic  and  health-related  benefits  of  the  strategy  as  well  as  its 
contribution to increasing EU resource independence and resilience and offer practical solutions at all 
life cycle stages of textiles, and to individual consumers, that will help achieve the EU textiles strategy 
vision;  

-  Ensure  involvement  of  youth,  including  young  designers,  influencers  and  artists,  in  the 

communication campaign to make fast fashion ‘out of fashion’ in Europe; 

-  Develop  a  map  viewer  to  help  reduce  the  impact  of  flooding  on  cultural  heritage  sites:  when 
carrying  out  preliminary  flood  risk  assessments  under  the  Floods  Directive,  Member  States  do  not 
always  consider  cultural  heritage  sites  at  risk.  This  may  be  because  assessments  need  refining.  The 
Commission  will  soon  provide  a  map  viewer  that  will  juxtapose  flood  areas  with,  among  others, 
cultural heritage. 

N. Agricultural policy 

Policy framework and key examples 

The  common  agricultural  policy  (CAP)  strategic  plans  (2023-2027)73  of  the  Member  States  can 
include  specific  investments  that  focus  on  culture:  this  also  includes  the  development  of  the  EU 
geographical indications (GI) systems74 for agricultural products and foodstuffs, wines and spirit drinks. 
The  CAP  supports  agriculture  and  farmers  through  income  support,  market  measures  and  rural 
development.  Rural  development  in  particular  strengthens  the  socio-economic,  socio-cultural  and 
environmental sustainability of rural areas and has a strong impact on the broad cultural sector.  

Measures  to  boost  the  registration  of  GIs  and  traditional  specialities  guaranteed  diversification, 
cooperation  and  LEADER  (local  development  method)  can  also  support  in  the  2023-2027  period 
sustainability of local food (production, labelling and preservation of local built and cultural heritages).  

Food  mapping,  labelling  and  food  heritage  as  well  as  protecting  how  food  is  produced  can  also  be 
considered cultural activities. Infrastructure and sustainability (environmental, cultural, socio-economic) 
are therefore key to benefiting the cultural, creative and heritage sectors. 

O. Defence industry and space policies 

The Union Earth observation and monitoring Programme Copernicus provides support to the Cultural and 
Natural Heritage community to facilitate mapping, monitoring and management of cultural heritage daily.  

The  Union  Space  Programme  Regulation75  explicitly  mentions  (art.  49(3)) the  “preservation  of cultural 
heritage” as a key policy to be supported through Copernicus. 

Strategic actions and key examples 

For  some  years  Copernicus  has  been  tackling  the  Cultural  and  Natural  Heritage  domain  supporting  the 
cultural heritage community with its data, products and services. The main goal in this field is to monitor 
and  assess  the  potential  impacts  of  climate  change,  natural  and  anthropogenic  disasters,  humanitarian 
crises and  cultural  and  natural  heritage  conflicts  to  strengthen prevention and  management  and  support 
sustainable development. 

73   https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/common-agricultural-policy/cap-overview/new-cap-2023-27_en 
74   https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/geographical-indications-and-quality-schemes/geographical-indications-

and-quality-schemes-explained_en 

75   https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0696&from=EN 

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Most  of  the  Copernicus  services  contribute  in  different  ways  to  the  monitoring,  risk  assessment  and 
damage prevention of cultural heritage sites. For example: 

-  Service in Support to External Action, assessing potential damage to cultural heritage sites over 

areas of conflict inaccessible to the international community; 

-  Climate Change Service, using some indicators to assess fire danger; 
-  Land Monitoring Service, with natural and human-induced geo-hazard risk assessment, Geodesy, 

urban and rural planning, flood risk; 

-  Atmosphere  Monitoring  Service,  checking  the  air  quality  and  subsequent  possible  damage  to 

monuments and buildings; 

-  Emergency Management Service, supporting especially through on-demand mapping products (in 
rapid  and  risk  and  recovery  mode  activations)  prevention,  preparedness,  response  and  recovery 
actions,  by  analysing,  assessing  and  monitoring  the  degree  of  damage  and  potential  associated 
risk(s). 

A Copernicus Cultural Heritage Task Force76 was also created to analyse the status of the cultural heritage 
activities with Copernicus data and services. Once the user requirements were identified, it verified that 
‘the majority of the current products satisfy  the identified requirements’.  In addition, capacity building 
activities can also be considered, including support for skills development and training for professionals, 
as well as dedicated academic courses. 

Other activities include: 

  A specific proof of concept dedicated to digital tourism and cultural heritage, part of Copernicus 

Demonstrators (procurement) and expected to be implemented in 2023/2024.  

  As  part  of  the  EUSpace4Ukraine  initiative,  a  hackathon  was  held  (29 June  –  1  July  2022)  that 

included applications related to the protection of cultural heritage.  

  User Consultation Platform 2023 will address user needs and requirements for commercial users. 

Furthermore,  an  analysis  to  identify  possible  ways  to  improve  and  customise  Copernicus  products  is 
already  ongoing,  in  combination  with  national  activities  and  international  actions  (see  for  example 
UNESCO’s GEO Urban Heritage Climate Observatory Community Activity). 

Upcoming actions  

-    Copernicus  services  will  continue  to  contribute  to  the  mapping,  monitoring  and  management  of 

cultural heritage; 

-    Support  Copernicus  uptake  in  the  downstream  market  related  to  cultural  heritage  monitoring  and 

fruition through the analysis of user needs and the implementation of proof of concepts; 

-    Introduce  a  unique  access  point  to  data,  with  information  from  across  Copernicus  components 
and  useful  to  cultural  heritage  users  to  be  evaluated,  taking  into  account  available  resources, 
priorities and ongoing national and international initiatives. 

P. Union Civil Protection Mechanism 

Policy framework and key examples 

76   https://www.copernicus.eu/sites/default/files/2020-10/CC-2020-37_Copernicus-Cultural-Heritage-Task-Force-

Report_0.pdf 

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The  Union  Civil  Protection  Mechanism77  (UCPM)  aims  to  protect  “primarily  people,  but  also  the 
environment  and  property,  including  cultural  heritage,  against  all  kinds  of  natural  and  man-made 
disasters (…)” (Art 1.2). The UCPM coordinates the delivery of assistance such as relief items, expertise, 
civil  protection  teams  and  specialised  equipment  in  response  to  disaster-stricken  countries,  upon  their 
request when their national resources are overwhelmed.  

Strategic actions and key examples 

The UCPM covers the whole disaster risk management cycle and supports prevention, preparedness and 
response actions. The UCPM supports, among others, efforts in the field of risk assessment, early warning 
and  monitoring  systems.  Through  the  Union  Civil  Protection  Knowledge  Network,  it  organises  and 
coordinates trainings, exercises, exchange of experts and advisory missions. The UCPM fosters a cross-
sectoral approach and supports the exchange of good practices. 

The  UCPM  also  finances  projects  in  the  field  of  cultural  heritage  in  disasters.  For  example,  the 
ProCultHer  project78  (2019-2021)  developed  a  European  methodology79  to  address  the  protection  of 
cultural heritage during emergencies and facilitate the establishment of a new UCPM capacity in the field. 

When  responding  to  requests  of  assistance  in  the  area  of  cultural  heritage,  the  UCPM  can  facilitate 
delivery of in-kind assistance (for example protection equipment) as well as expertise, including in form 
of  advisory  missions.  Recently,  in  response  to  Russia’s  war  of  aggression  against  Ukraine,  the 
Commission is coordinating its largest ever operation under the UCPM80, which includes also assistance 
in the field of the protection of cultural heritage, such as sandbags, packing material for preservation of 
cultural artefacts, and cultural assets protection kits. 

Upcoming actions 

-    Increasing  the  capacity  to  deploy  teams  of  experts  in  the  field  of  cultural  heritage  and  civil 
protection:  the  adoption  of  amending  Commission  Implementing  Decision  2014/762/EU  on  new 
quality requirements for increased UCPM capacities is planned for 2023. 

-   Increasing the profile of cultural heritage protection in disaster response operations: the project 
ProCultHer-Net81  will  further  strengthen  cultural  heritage  protection  capacities  of  civil  protection 
authorities in Europe by connecting civil protection and cultural heritage experts throughout Europe. 

4.  CONCLUSIONS: THE WAY AHEAD 

Cultural measures play a key role in the design of policy priorities and actions for sustainability, including 
in a variety of EU policies and programmes. However, to fully unlock the potential of cultural measures 
in,  for  and  as  sustainable  development  and  the  role  of  the  cultural  sectors,  the  scattered  distribution  of 
cultural  measures  that  target  sustainable  development  across  many  different  policy  areas  should  be 
addressed.  

77    https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2013/1313/oj/eng 
78   https://www.proculther.eu  
79   https://www.proculther.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PROCULTHER-Methodology.pdf 
80   All  27  EU  countries,  plus  Norway,  Türkiye,  North  Macedonia  and  Iceland,  have  offered  in-kind  assistance  ranging  from 
medical supplies to vehicles and energy equipment as well as supplies in the field of the protection of cultural heritage. The 
items  are  being  delivered  to  Ukrainian  authorities  as  single  or  pooling  operations  through  the  UCPM  logistical  hubs 
established in Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. 

81    Further information on the project can be found on the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network Online 
Platform  https://civil-protection-knowledge-network.europa.eu/union-civil-protection-mechanism-projects. 

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The  report  by  the  OMC  group  on  the  cultural  dimension  of  sustainable  development,  published  on  20 
September  2022,  stressed  that  in  these  ‘stormy  times’  –  where  the  relationship  between  nature  and 
humans  is  constantly  threatened  by  increasing  imbalances  and  inequalities  –  a  ‘cultural  courage  for 
change’  is  the  best  possible  answer  from  policymakers.  The  EU  has  an  enormous  opportunity  and 
responsibility  to  steer  this process  of  better  harnessing  the  (underused)  potential  of  culture.  This report 
contributes to the reflection process by providing evidence on the existing interplay between culture and 
sustainable development and on the need to reinforce it in the future. 

As stated in the Final Declaration adopted at MONDIACULT 2022, where key EU actions on culture and 
SDGs  were  shared,  a  combined  approach  to  culture  and  sustainability  and  greater  policy  coherence 
between cultural policies and sustainable development strategies can be beneficial to different levels of 
policymaking in Europe. ‘We advocate for a systemic anchoring of culture in public policies, through the 
adaptation  of  development  strategies  and  frameworks,  at  the  international,  regional,  sub-regional, 
national and local levels, as well as within policies of other relevant UN funds and programmes, as an 
enabler and driver of resilience, social inclusion and economic growth (…)’ reads the Declaration82. 

It  is  therefore  vital  to  translate  the  horizontal  approach  to  sustainable  development  into  a  fully  visible 
engagement  with  culture  and  creativity  as  engines  of  development.  Collective  efforts  to  tackle  global 
challenges  such  as  mitigation  of  climate change  risks  or  European  Green  Deal and  Agenda  2030  goals 
should  rely  heavily  on  culture  to  leverage  new  human  behaviours,  promote  gender  equality  through 
cultural  participation,  and  facilitate  access  to  cultural  opportunities  through  innovative  and  multi-
stakeholder practices or processes. 

Combining  culture-led  innovation  with  sustainability-driven  investments  and  adaptive  responses  to 
breakthrough transformations of society in times of crisis should be at the heart of new policy frameworks 
for rethinking cultural policymaking in more strategic, coherent and effective ways.  

A new approach to strengthen the EU strategic framework for culture, as suggested in the Commission’s 
Report on the Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022 and included as an initiative in the new EU Work Plan 
for Culture 2023-2026, can be a first step in this direction. A new EU strategic framework could provide 
more policy coherence and consistency and include among its overarching principles the commitment to 
deliver  on  Agenda  2030,  thereby  reflecting  the  ambitions  expressed  in  the  MONDIACULT  2022 
Declaration  for  Culture,  which  calls  for  strengthened  public  policies  and  international  cooperation  in 
culture. 

82   https://www.unesco.org/sites/default/files/medias/fichiers/2022/10/6.MONDIACULT_EN_DRAFT% 

20FINAL%20DECLARATION_FINAL_1.pdf 

29