Draft Joint Declaration "Europe for Culture - Culture for Europe"
Date: 2025-11-12
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: EU strategy, art education, artistic profession, competitiveness, cultural cooperation, cultural policy, cultural tourism, culture, promotion of the European idea, right to culture

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 12.11.2025  COM(2025) 786 final  Draft Joint Declaration "Europe for Culture - Culture for Europe"  
 
 
Draft Joint Declaration   

“Europe for Culture - Culture for Europe” 

Preamble 

Whereas:  

A. Europe is a continent of immeasurable art, culture, creativity, and rich cultural heritage and 
history. Europe’s  cultural  diversity and vibrancy, fuelled by the  excellence of its  artists and 
professionals,  are  fundamental  to  EU  values  and  identity,  fostering  a  European  sense  of 
belonging and shared European identity, and strengthening democracy. 

B.  The  cultural  and  creative  sectors  and  industries  are  dynamic  economic  sectors.  They 
represent  a  strategic  resource  for  Europe’s  competitiveness  and  cohesion,  generating 
economic growth and positive spillovers across sectors and territories, creating qualified jobs, 
and fuelling the EU’s creative and innovative edge. 

C. Culture and cultural heritage underpin the core values the EU is founded on – respect for 
human  dignity,  freedom,  democracy,  equality,  the  rule  of  law  and  respect  for  human  rights 
(Article 2  TEU)  –  and  embody  the  motto  ‘United  in  diversity’.  The  EU's  overarching 
objective  in  the  field  of  culture  is  to  respect  and  promote  its  rich  cultural  and  linguistic 
diversity;  to  ensure  that  Europe’s  cultural  heritage  is  safeguarded  and  enhanced;  and  to 
encourage cooperation between Member States (Article 3 TEU, Article 167 TFEU). 

D. Culture and cultural heritage create a space to imagine desirable futures and are vital to the 
European way of life. They provide a platform for public dialogue, unite communities, enrich 
lives, bring cohesion to our societies and are an important vector for the EU’s external action. 
The EU can leverage its cultural assets to build resilience, promote peace and democracy, and 
inspire innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable development. 

E.  Culture  is  a  strategic  resource  for  the  EU  to  confront  today’s  pressing  realities,  such  as 
geopolitical  and  geoeconomic  tensions,  global  warming  and  environmental  degradation, 
social  and  economic  inequalities,  rapid  technological  changes,  demographic  shifts,  and  a 
mental  health  crisis.  At  the  same  time,  the  cultural  and  creative  sectors  and  industries  face 
their own challenges, necessitating targeted support and decisive action.  

F.  This  declaration  articulates  a  long-term  strategic  vision  to  place  culture  at  the  heart  of 
Europe’s identity, emphasising the importance of culture for individuals, communities and the 
EU, and strengthening cultural rights and principles. 

G.  Recognising  the  EU’s  supporting  role  in  the  field  of  culture,  this  declaration  affirms  
shared political commitments and responsibilities of the European Parliament, the Council of 
the European Union and the European Commission - within their respective competencies and 
in  full  compliance  with  EU  law  -  based  on  the  key  directions  set  out  in  the  Commission’s 
2025 Culture Compass for Europe. 

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Joint Declaration on Europe for Culture - Culture for Europe 

0.  We  aim  at  promoting  and  positioning  culture both  as  a  resource  for  and  a  beneficiary  of 
European unity, democracy, excellence and competitiveness. And, thus, we commit to: 

•  Strengthening the European Union’s role as a global cultural powerhouse and vibrant 
hub  of  creativity,  where  everyone  can  freely  create  and  engage  with  culture;  a  role 
which upholds cultural rights, empowers citizens and creative professionals. 

•  Ensuring  that  culture  remains  a  driving  force  to  the  socio-economic  and  territorial 
fabric  of  Europe  recognising  culture’s  intrinsic,  societal,  civic  and  economic  value, 
and its transformative potential. 

•  Promoting measures to empower, thrive, innovate and compete globally. 
•  Acknowledging the role of culture as a public good, contributing to the EU's resilience 

and sustainable growth. 

Aligned  with  these  commitments  and  the  four  key  directions  of  the  Culture  Compass  for 
Europe, we declare our embrace of the following principles for cultural policies in Europe. 

1. Freedom of artistic expression and freedom to create are the foundations of culture, and 
play an indispensable role in fostering democratic societies and in upholding European values.  

We commit to:  

•  Safeguarding  the  freedom  of  artistic  expression  and  respect  of  EU  values  as  a 

cornerstone of democracy and fundamental rights within the European Union. 

•  Protecting artists and cultural professionals from  censorship, intimidation, and undue 

interference.  

•  Shielding the independence of cultural institutions. 

2. Cultural and linguistic diversity are fundamental values on which the EU is founded. We 
commit to: 

•  Supporting, celebrating and preserving the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of the 

European Union and its cultural sovereignty. 

•  Promoting the full diversity of cultural content created in Europe, notably online and 
harnessing new technologies to ensure the visibility and discoverability of this content. 

3. Access to culture is a fundamental pillar of democratic and inclusive societies. We commit 
to: 

•  Enhancing inclusive access to, participation in, enjoyment and benefit of culture and 

cultural heritage for everyone, especially younger generations. 

•  Paying  particular  attention  to  the  cultural  rights  of  persons  with  disabilities, 
marginalised  and  disadvantaged  groups,  and  people  living  in  rural,  remote  or 
underserved areas – including areas at risk of depopulation or facing socio-economic 
challenges. 

•  Enhancing  and  improving  cultural  infrastructure  across  Europe,  paying  attention  to 

addressing socio-economic and territorial disparities. 

4. Everyone has the right to fair, just, healthy and safe working conditions, including artists 
and  cultural  professionals  who  are  at  the  heart  of  our  cultural  and  creative  sectors  and 
industries. We commit to:  

•  Promoting  fair  remuneration,  adequate  social  protection,  and  access  to  skills 
development  for  all  artists  and  cultural  professionals,  as  well  as  supporting  their 

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collective  bargaining  rights  and  fostering  their  occupational  health  and  safety, 
including their mental health. 

•  Promoting gender equality in culture and cultural heritage, and protecting the rights of 

artists and cultural professionals with disabilities. 

5. Young people are crucial in shaping Europe’s future and its diverse cultural landscape. We 
commit to: 

•  Promoting  young  people’s  representation  and  participation  in  cultural  governance 
structures to amplify their voices in decision-making processes that concern them. 

•  Supporting  young  and  emerging  artists,  recognising  their  contribution  to  Europe’s 

culture and heritage. 

6. The synergy between culture, arts, and education is fundamental to the development and 
prosperity of future societies. We commit to: 

•  Fostering arts education for everyone in formal, non-formal, and informal education, 

including lifelong learning. 

•  Supporting the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) 
approach  and  interdisciplinary  and  transdisciplinary  synergies  between  culture,  the 
arts, science, and technology. 

7.  Cultural  engagement  has  proven  positive  impacts  on  the  health  and  well-being  of 
individuals and communities. We commit to: 

•  Promoting  -  through  our  policies  -  the  positive  effects  of  culture  and  cultural 

participation on health and well-being. 

•  Sharing best practices and innovative approaches across sectors. 

8. The use, development and governance of artificial intelligence (AI) systems should foster 
human  creativity  through  a  fair  human-centric  and  rights-based  approach.  It  should:  respect 
cultural  rights,  accessibility,  inclusivity  and  cultural  diversity;  develop  and  promote 
discoverability of European, national and local content; foster competitiveness; counter digital 
divides; and foster digital inclusion. We commit to: 

•  Promoting  human  creation  and  European  cultural  and  linguistic  digital  sovereignty, 

and addressing ethical risks of biases and cultural homogenisation.  

•  Protecting  intellectual  property  rights,  by  addressing  the  impacts  of  AI  on  creators’ 

remuneration, while embracing innovation. 

•  Monitoring and mitigating the impact of AI on jobs, as well as supporting the cultural 
and  creative  sectors  and  industries  adapt  to  technological  change  and  acquire  digital 
skills. 

•  Fostering  the  use  of  AI  as  a  tool  to  support  cultural  and  creative  professionals,  and 
enabling  the  cultural  and  creative  sectors  and  industries  to  harness  the  opportunities 
offered by these technologies. 

9. Cultural heritage connects our past with our future. It is a symbol of unity in diversity and 
a cornerstone of our identity, democracy, and resilience. We commit to: 

•  Protecting, safeguarding  and promoting  Europe’s rich natural  and cultural  heritage  – 
both  tangible  and  intangible  –  while  harnessing  digital  technologies  to  foster  its 
preservation, access and innovation. 
Improving awareness, research and capacity building, and the use and interoperability 
of  databases  and  digital  technologies  to  face  the  threat  of  cultural  goods  trafficking 

• 

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and other related crimes, while fostering international cooperation among all relevant 
professionals, such as heritage, law enforcement or customs professionals. 

•  Fostering  intergenerational  exchange  to  ensure  the  transmission  of  cultural  heritage 

and knowledge from older to younger generations.  

10.  Culture  and  cultural  heritage  foster  regional  and  territorial  development,  resilience, 
social cohesion and convergence between Europe’s regions. They also need to be protected 
in times of crises, including from risks such as the effects of climate change. We commit to: 

•  Untapping the potential of culture and cultural heritage, in synergy with other areas, in 
boosting attractiveness of all territories and addressing territorial challenges, including 
countering  demographic  decline,  especially 
in  peripheral,  rural,  remote  and 
underserved areas, including EU outermost regions. 

•  Advancing sustainable cultural tourism, respectful of cultural heritage, landscapes and 

community practices, and contributing to regional and local development. 

•  Enhancing  cooperation  on  crisis  preparedness  and  integrating  culture  and  cultural 
heritage  into  security  and  crisis  preparedness  planning,  crisis  and  risk  management, 
post-crisis reconstruction, recovery and peace-building processes. 

11.  Culture,  including  cultural  heritage,  is  crucial  in  the  shift  towards  environmental 
sustainability  as  it  shapes  values,  behaviours  and  practices  that  underpin  environmentally 
responsible development. We commit to: 

•  Emphasising the importance of culture in the policy response to ecological challenges, 
by  promoting  architecture,  design,  heritage  safeguarding  and  landscape  management 
that pursues quality, innovation, inclusion and excellence, as well as by  encouraging 
the uptake of practical greening tools and enabling cultural and heritage agents to lead 
and change narratives in co-creation with communities.   

12.  Pursuing  the  ambitions  of  this  declaration  and  fully  leveraging  culture’s  transversal 
impacts means promoting culture in the EU’s internal and external policies, investing in the 
cultural and creative sectors and industries, and monitoring progress. We commit to: 

•  Supporting  continuous,  dedicated  funding  for  the  cultural  and  creative  sectors  and 
industries, and promoting innovative and alternative modes of funding at all levels of 
governance. 

•  Embedding  culture  within  relevant  strategies,  policies  and  actions,  and  the 

corresponding funding tools. 

•  Maintaining close dialogue with relevant stakeholders. 
•  Promoting  this  declaration  in  the  EU’s  relations  with  international  organisations 
and partner countries – within the respective roles and powers of the  signatories – 
and anchoring our partnerships to the values of reciprocity and long-term engagement. 
•  Advancing  initiatives  aimed  at  improving  the  availability  of  sound  and  comparable 

data on culture to support the development of evidence-based cultural policies. 

•  Reviewing progress in the areas covered in this declaration. 

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