These aims were spelt out in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, which recognised formally for the first time the cultural dimension of European integration. But cultural initiatives had begun earlier. For instance, the successful programme to select each year Europe’s Capital of Culture was launched in 1985.
A young performer at the international music festival in Varna, Bulgaria.
An important sector
Cultural industries in the EU – cinema and audiovisual, publishing, music and crafts – are also important sources of revenue and of jobs, employing more than seven million people. The EU runs support programmes for certain cultural industries, encouraging them to grasp opportunities offered by the single market and digital technologies. It also strives to create a dynamic environment for these industries by cutting red tape, providing easier access to funding, helping with research projects and encouraging more cooperation with partners inside and outside the Union.
The Union also includes a cultural dimension in many other policy areas such as education (including language-learning), scientific research, support for IT and communications technologies, and social and regional development.
Europe’s helping hand
For example, as part of its regional policy, the EU helps pay for music schools, concert halls and recording studios. It also funded the restoration of historic theatres including the Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona and the Fenice in Venice, damaged by fire in 1994 and 1996 respectively.
In its guidelines for the Regional Fund, the European Commission asks member governments to promote cultural development in poorer regions to help them assert their identity, attract tourists and create jobs in areas like online services and the media.
The EU helps restore Europe's cultural heritage.
The Culture programme
One of the EU’s flagship initiatives, the Culture programme, is now well-established. In its present form, it runs from 2007 to 2013 with a total budget for the period of around €400 million. It covers all non-audiovisual cultural activities.
The specific objectives of the current Culture programme are to:
- promote the awareness and the preservation of cultural items of European significance;
- promote the transnational mobility of those working in the cultural sector;
- encourage the transnational circulation of works and cultural and artistic products;
- stimulate intercultural dialogue.
Capitals of culture
The ‘Capitals of Culture’ programme sets out to highlight the great diversity of European culture, without forgetting the common wellspring from which much of it flows.
Each year, one or two cities are selected as cultural capitals of Europe, thereby qualifying for financial support under the Culture programme. This money funds exhibitions and events highlighting the cultural heritage of the city and its region, plus a wide range of performances, concerts and other shows, which bring together players and artists from across the EU. Experience shows the programme has had a long-term impact on the development of culture and tourism in the cities chosen.
The programme was originally scheduled to end in 2004, but such is its success that it has been renewed for a further 15 years. The 2008 Capitals of Culture are Liverpool in England and Stavanger in Norway.
The year 2008 has been designated European Year of Intercultural Dialogue to promote communication between cultures in education and the workplace as well as in leisure and sports activities.
The gift of tongues
Linguistic diversity is a cultural and democratic cornerstone of the European Union. Language not only opens doors to other cultures, it also enriches in a practical way our ability to benefit from cultural contacts when we travel or work in other Union countries. The long-term aim is to encourage people in Europe to learn two languages in addition to their mother tongue.
Support for linguistic diversity is one of the EU’s operating principles. With new members joining in 2004 and 2007, the number of official Union languages has risen from 11 to 23. The EU requires its legislation to be available in all languages and therefore accessible to all citizens. It also guarantees that any EU citizens can write to an EU institution or body and receive a reply in their own language. In the same way, a member of the European Parliament has the right to represent his or her voters in their own language when he or she rises to speak.
