3 A European agenda for culture
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9496/07
COM(07) 242
+ ADD 1
| Commission Communication: A European agenda for culture in a globalizing world
Commission staff working paper: inventory of Community actions in the field of culture
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| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 10 May 2007
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| Deposited in Parliament | 16 May 2007
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| Department | Culture, Media and Sport
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 6 June 2007
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | November 2007
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Not cleared; further information requested
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The Community's competence in cultural matters
3.1 Article 151 of the EC Treaty requires:
- the European Community to "contribute to the flowering
of the cultures of the Member States, while respecting their national
and regional diversity and at the same time bringing the common
cultural heritage to the fore";
- action by the Community to be aimed at encouraging cooperation
between Member States and, if necessary, at supporting and supplementing
their action to, for example, disseminate the culture and history
of "the European peoples", conserve the cultural heritage
of European significance and promote cultural exchanges;
- the Community and Member States to foster cultural cooperation
with third countries and international organisations including
the Council of Europe, in particular;
- the Community to take account of cultural aspects when acting
under other provisions of the Treaty; and
- empowers the Council to adopt incentive measures and adopt
recommendations.
The Commission's Communication
3.2 The Commission believes that the EC needs an "agenda
for culture" which takes account of "the realities of
today's globalizing world". So it has issued this Communication
which makes proposals for new objectives and ways of heightening
cultural cooperation. The Commission invites comments from the
European Parliament, the Council, the Committee of the Regions
and the European Economic and Social Committee.
3.3 The Communication has three main sections. They are about:
- what the Community is currently doing through, for example,
the Culture, Education, Youth and Cohesion programmes and its
relations with third countries and organisations such as the Council
of Europe and UNESCO (details are provided in the annex to the
Communication —ADD 1);
- the objectives of a European agenda for culture; and
- new partnerships and working methods.
3.4 The Commission proposes three objectives:
- promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue
(through, for example, supporting cross-border mobility of artists
and works of art; and by helping people learn foreign languages
and improve cultural awareness through lifelong learning);
- promote culture as a catalyst for creativity and innovation
as part of the Lisbon strategy for economic growth and jobs
(through, for example, training people from cultural industries
in entrepreneurship, management and finance; and encouraging partnerships
between the cultural sector and bodies concerned with research,
tourism and information and communication technologies); and
- promote culture as a vital element of the EU's international
relations with third countries and international organisations
(through both support for specific events and the systematic
integration of a cultural element into all external and development
policies).
3.5 In the Commission's view, the delivery of the proposed cultural
agenda will depend on:
- developing the Commission's relations with the cultural sector
by, for example, setting up a "Cultural Forum" to consult
interested public authorities, charities, foundations and businesses;
- extending the open method of coordination to the cultural
sector;[7] and
- strengthening the arrangements to ensure that culture is taken
into account in all relevant policies within the EC, with third
countries and international organisations.
3.6 "The Commission proposes that acting on the basis of
this Communication, the Council of Ministers endorses the objectives
suggested above, setting priorities and agreeing on a biennial
follow-up exercise. As part of this exercise, the Commission would
draft a joint report with high level representatives of Member
States every two years summarising main issues and trends and
discussing progress across Member States with regard to the common
objectives."[8]
The Government's view
3.7 The Minister for Culture at the Department of Culture, Media
and Sport (Mr David Lammy) tells us that the Government supports
the three broad objectives proposed by the Commission and, indeed,
already plays a leading role in the promotion of culture as a
catalyst for creativity. The proposals for new partnerships and
methods have not yet been discussed in detail with Member States
and will require public consultation in the UK followed by discussion
in the Council. The Minister says that the results of the Government's
consultations about the proposals will be known by September,
in time for discussion of the Communication by the Council in
November.
Conclusion
3.8 The objectives the Commission proposes are so broad that
it is difficult to judge whether they amount to anything new or
are, in effect, a re-statement of the principles which under-pin
the European Community's existing policies and programmes relevant
to culture. No doubt the Commission can play a useful part in
assisting exchanges of information between those concerned with
cultural activities and can help identify and disseminate good
practice. But, as the Commission acknowledges on page 4 of the
Communication, culture is primarily the responsibility of the
Member States. In our view, therefore, clarification is needed
of the proposal for the application of the open method of coordination
and clear limits need to be established to ensure proper observance
of the principle of subsidiarity.
3.9 We ask the Minister to tell us the results of his Department's
consultations about the Communication and to give us progress
reports on the discussion of the document by the Council and its
working groups. Meanwhile, we shall keep the Communication under
scrutiny.
7 In March 2000, the European Council defined the open
method of coordination as a means to help Member States develop
their policies. It involves: agreeing non-binding European guidelines
and timetables for short- medium- and long-term goals; establishing
quantitative and qualitative performance indicators and benchmarks;
translating the European guidelines into national and regional
policies; and monitoring and evaluating the results. Back
8
Commission Communication, page 12, ante-penultimate paragraph. Back
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