Description

Along with 20 other cultural organisations, Culture Action Europe calls on the European Commission and the European Parliament to give proper consideration and strengthen international cultural relations within future policy frameworks including in foreign and sustainable development policies; as well as in the upcoming EU financial framework.

The signatories believe that while culture is a strategic factor of the EU and constitutes an important part of its economy, it also contributes to the development of democratic, free, and sustainable societies in times exacerbated by nationalism, disinformation war, artificial intelligence, conspiracy theories, confusion and fear of the other. In recent years, the approach to the role of culture in EU’s external relations has significantly developed, with culture increasingly perceived as strategic for political, social and economic development and contributing to external policy objectives. The letter states that the European Commission should build on what has been achieved so far and put adequate efforts and resources to further strengthen cultural relations.

The letter urges the European Commission to take the necessary actions for:

• A comprehensive inclusion of international cultural relations in the implementation guidelines of the Proposal for the establishment of the Neighbourhood and Development Cooperation instrument
• Enhancing the coherence between Creative Europe’s international dimension provisions Proposal for establishing the Creative Europe programme
• Embedding and allocate resources to international cultural relations within the Next Generation EU instrument
• Building an Action Plan on the cultural dimension of sustainable development
• Dedicating staff in related Commission departments to support the mainstreaming of cultural relations throughout the different new instruments and programmes

The full letter can be read here.

SIGNATORIES:

Goethe-Institut | British Council | Institut français | European Cultural Foundation | International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts (IETM) |European Creative Hubs Network | International Music Council (IMC) | On the Move | European Festivals Association (EFA) | Institut für Auslandbeziehungen (ifa) | culture 21 UCLG Committee | Culture Action Europe (CAE) | Théâtre de Liège | Circostrada – European Network Circus and Street Arts | MitOst | EU National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) | fundació Mies van der Rohe |Art Moves Africa (AMA) | Bozar – Centre for Fine Arts | European Music Council (EMC)