The European Commission has launched the Consultation on a future European Union Culture Programme.

04 October 2010

Following the adoption of the "Europe 2020" Strategy in June 20101, the European Commission is now launching a public consultation on a future EU programme for culture, which will replace the current one from 2014 onwards. The Commission's intention is to adopt a draft proposal in view of establishing a Decision of the European Parliament and Council on a new culture programme, which will help achieve the objectives of the "Europe 2020" strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth during the second semester of 2011.

One of the starting points for preparing a future programme in the field of culture lie in the EU Treaty,2 the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union3 and the European Union's obligations as a Party to the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, which all stress the importance of protecting and promoting Europe's cultural and linguistic diversity. Furthermore, the European Agenda for Culture - the EU's strategy for culture adopted in 2007 - also includes the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue as one of its strategic objectives, along with the promotion of culture as a catalyst for creativity, growth and jobs, as well as the promotion of culture as a vital element of international relations.

These documents recognise that while the processes of globalisation, which have been facilitated by the rapid development of information and communication technologies, afford unprecedented conditions for enhanced interaction between cultures, they also represent a challenge for cultural diversity, namely in view of risks of imbalances between poor and rich countries, as well as small and large ones as well as risks of standardisation.

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