Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2004)469 - Culture 2007 programme (2007-2013) - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2004)469 - Culture 2007 programme (2007-2013). |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2004)469  |
| date | 14-07-2004 |
Contents
- 1.1 The legal basis
- 1.2 Implementation of Article 151
- 2. The foundations of the new programme
- 2.1 Important analysis and forward studies
- 2.2 The main results
- 2.2.1 European cultural action
- 2.2.2 The Culture 2000 programme
- 2.2.3 The type of actions supported
- 3. The third-generation programme
- 3.1 A global vision
- 3.2 The specific objectives of the new programme
- 3.2.1 Supporting the transnational mobility of people working in the cultural sector
- 3.2.2 Encouraging the transnational circulation of works of art and artistic and cultural products
- 3.2.3 Promoting intercultural dialogue
- 3.3 Resources
- 3.3.1 A new, more open instrument
- 3.3.2 A new, more complete instrument
- 3.3.2.1 First strand: support for cultural actions
- 3.3.2.2 Second strand: support for European organisations active in the field of culture
- 3.3.2.3 Third strand: support for analyses and for the collection and dissemination of information in the field of cultural cooperation
- 3.4. Towards a more user-friendly programme
- 3.4.1 Simpler methods for beneficiaries
- 3.4.2. Rationalised management
- 4. Conclusion
Article 151 of the Treaty establishing the European Community constitutes the appropriate legal basis for Community action in the field of culture.
The article stresses the need to comply with two fundamental concepts: on the one hand, cultural diversity while respecting the principle of subsidiarity and, on the other, promoting the common cultural heritage and cooperation between the Member States. The aim is therefore to encourage cultural cooperation between the Member States to supplement their action.
On the basis of this article, two initial generations of programmes were adopted: initially the sectoral programmes Kaleidoscope, Ariane and Raphaël i between 1993 and 1999, then a single framework programme, Culture 2000, i adopted in February 2000. These programmes all sought to encourage creativity and mobility among artists, access to culture for as many people as possible, the dissemination of art and culture, intercultural dialogue and knowledge of the history of European peoples.
In parallel, the European Union also supports cultural cooperation organisations and networks working on the integration of our continent and the advent of a European civil society i, and contributes to the preservation and commemoration of the main sites and archives associated with the deportations. i
Finally, each year since 1985 the EU has appointed one or more European Capitals of Culture, which may receive financial support. i
In order to prepare the new programme, and to provide an overview of the results of actions carried out in the field of cultural cooperation, evaluations were carried out on Community actions and programmes in the field of culture. i To these evaluations were added many contributions from the cultural sector and the experience acquired by the Commission in implementing its cultural programmes.
In addition, the Commission carried out a wide-ranging forward thinking exercise. In particular, it organised a Forum on cultural cooperation i, set up a group of experts to discuss the future cultural programme i and organised a public consultation. i It also organised or attended seminars on horizontal or sectoral themes and commissioned various studies on subjects relating to cultural cooperation. i
Finally, when drawing up its proposal, the Commission also took into account the work of the Council, the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions i.
This very wide-ranging exercise first of all showed the merits and relevance of cultural action by the European Union.
However, it also revealed a number of shortcomings which the new programme is intended to correct.
Community action is currently too fragmented. Alongside the framework programme 'Culture 2000', two main Community actions coexist: support for European cultural organisations and 'European Capitals of Culture'. Their link with the programme is too weak or non-existent. This dispersal into three actions harms the Community's image with its citizens, who are unaware of the efforts to preserve and expand the influence of their cultures and the taking into account of the cultural dimension in the construction of Europe, and above all affects overall coherence.
The Culture 2000 programme pursues too many objectives, given the limited financial resources available to it. This reduces its effectiveness and 'legibility', since the many and varied projects supported can provide a feeling of dispersal.
Compartmentalisation between the various cultural disciplines within Culture 2000 has been mentioned as a constraint upon operators, as it does not enable sufficient consideration to be given to the changing situation in the sector and therefore risks excluding certain forms of cultural expression.
Certain actions are not taken into account by the Community cultural programme. Thus, true support is currently lacking for a discussion of the challenges of and resources for cultural cooperation in Europe.
The general objective of Community action is the achievement of a common cultural area through the development of cultural cooperation in Europe. This action will thus contribute actively to the development of a European identity from the grass roots.
As the Commission indicated in a recent communication, i 'European citizens are of course the ultimate target group of all EU actions in the field of culture. However, the European institutions need intermediaries in order to reach those citizens and to offer high quality cultural actions with a European dimension'. These intermediaries are theatres, museums, professional associations, research centres, universities, cultural institutes, the authorities, etc.
The work referred to above shows that the number of objectives should be reduced and that the following three aspects, for which there is a broad consensus, should therefore be given priority support: i transnational mobility for people working in the cultural sector, transnational circulation of artistic and cultural works and products and intercultural dialogue. Cultural operators, and therefore citizens, should be given more opportunities to create networks, carry out projects, be more mobile or promote cultural dialogue in Europe and in other regions of the globe. Projects supported by the programme will need to be on a sufficient scale and offer maximum added value at European level; each project will therefore need to pursue at least two of these objectives.
In relation to the first two generations of cultural action, the proposed programme is intended as a coherent, global and complete tool for multilateral cultural cooperation in Europe, capable of perceiving its full complexity. The programme provides for three levels of intervention, each addressing three different and complementary strata of cultural cooperation and thus responding to distinct but interdependent needs. This is the programme's main innovation: a global vision taking in the cultural sector as a whole and encouraging synergies.
There is a strand corresponding to each level of intervention.
The first strand consists of direct financial support for sustainable, exploratory or 'special' cooperation projects. i It is essential in so far as it contributes to the dynamism of cultural activity with a European dimension and takes the form of actions visible to European citizens both within and outside the territory of the countries taking part in the programme. This strand will also enable the European Union to strengthen its cultural influence at international level by encouraging an abundance of projects on the ground.
However, this action should be supplemented by a more structural intervention in favour of cooperation, going beyond the project-based approach. For this reason, the second strand is intended to fully integrate the Community action programme for the promotion of organisations active at European level in the field of culture; in particular by providing operating aid for European organisations working on a sustainable basis in favour of cultural cooperation or acting as 'ambassadors' for European culture which have acquired a high level of expertise in the field. i
This multi-annual support should enable these organisations to exploit their experience and develop their activities. To ensure continuity with the programme of support for organisations, it will also be worthwhile supporting actions to preserve and commemorate the main sites and archives associated with the deportations.
Finally, the third strand aims to support analysis and information activities, in order to create a favourable environment for cooperation. It contains three complementary actions encompassing cultural cooperation at different levels. The first seeks to promote the production of conceptual tools by supporting studies and analyses of cultural cooperation, which will provide a better understanding of the phenomenon. The second aims to remove certain practical obstacles to cooperation through the development of an Internet tool for exchanging information and good practice. i The third provides for supporting 'culture contact points' in order to ensure targeted, effective grass-roots dissemination of practical information on the new cultural programme.
Each action should be seen in the light of the three specific objectives.
The specific objectives identified below offer a real European added value. This means that the pursuit of these objectives by Community actions is fully justified in so far as they could not be achieved by action at national level. i The projects and actions chosen to benefit from Community support will all have to meet at least two of them.
The information provided to professionals on the social, regulatory and tax provisions applicable to a short or long-term stay in another country is still frequently too fragmentary. In order to encourage mobility for these professionals, it therefore appears essential to promote the establishment of networks, move towards greater coordination and promote the dissemination of knowledge and information.
Two sorts of mobility will be encouraged by Community action in the field of culture: mobility for the provision or establishment of cultural services (e.g. tours); mobility with the aim of training, experiencing other cultures or artistic practices, exchanging experiences.
3.2.2 Encouraging the transnational circulation of works of art and artistic and cultural products
Circulating works of art, material or otherwise, and artistic and cultural products beyond national borders involves extra costs for the organiser: transport costs, insurance, prospecting new markets, greater effort to publicise works or artists who may be less well-known abroad, investment of time in getting to know the market (host structures, regulations and administrative formalities, etc.). This objective corresponds to those of the Treaty (Articles 3q and 151) and responds to certain basic Community tasks (completion of the internal market, strengthening European integration through the creation of a common cultural area).
As an exchange based on openness and equality between cultures, intercultural dialogue leads to mutual enrichment and a common search for shared values and interpretations. It can also play a fundamental role, particularly in integrating new Europeans from a range of cultures.
The new programme is more open in so far as it distances itself from the sectoral approach (by artistic and cultural disciplines). Operators will be free to propose projects corresponding to their interests and aspirations, whether sectoral or cross-sectoral, in so far as they aim for at least two of the objectives set out above. No facet of cultural and artistic activity will therefore be excluded a priori.
Community cultural action wishes to open itself up to a wide variety of participants, ranging from administrations to networks, from cultural organisations to enterprises in the cultural sector, enabling cooperation in a wide range of formats.
Finally, the programme intends to be more open to participants from third countries, particularly countries covered by the new neighbourhood policy, and to support projects running outside the borders of the European Union, thus helping to increase its influence.
The new programme is more complete in that it integrates in a single financial instrument the various facets of cultural cooperation. It has three main strands.
It provides direct support for European cooperation projects of varying length and scale which have at least two of the specific objectives defined above. The 'cooperation focal points' highlight the sustainable nature of cooperation. Each focal point brings together operators in one or more sectors on various multi-annual activities or projects, sectoral or cross-sectoral in nature but pursuing common objectives. 'Cooperation measures' are oriented towards creativity and innovation and open the way to new cooperation projects, which may in some cases be pursued within cooperation focal points. Lasting not more than one year, they bring together European operators on sectoral or cross-sectoral measures. Finally, 'special actions' are characterised by their 'symbolic' and federative nature. These events, substantial in scale and scope, should strike a significant chord with the peoples of Europe and help to increase their sense of belonging to the same community as well as making them aware of the cultural diversity of the Member States and of intercultural and international dialogue. The 'special actions' include in particular the 'European Capitals of Culture' the European dimension of which must be strengthened.
Apart from direct support for cooperation projects, operating aid should be given to organisations working for cultural cooperation or acting as 'ambassadors' for European culture. The new programme is intended to integrate support for these organisations in order to increase the coherence of Community action.
This also covers actions supported for the preservation and commemoration of the main sites and archives associated with the deportations, symbolised by the memorials which have been raised on the sites of the former camps and other large-scale martyrdom and extermination sites, and for keeping alive the memory of the victims at these sites.
3.3.2.3 Third strand: support for analyses and for the collection and dissemination of information in the field of cultural cooperation
It is fundamental to have information and figures on developments in cultural cooperation at European level, particularly with regard to the mobility of players, the circulation of works and intercultural dialogue. This will deepen knowledge of the phenomenon of cooperation and create favourable conditions for it to flourish.
Moreover, the new programme intends to encourage the development of an efficient communication and information tool on the Internet, targeted at the needs of professionals in the field of cooperation.
Finally, in order to ensure targeted, effective grass-roots dissemination of practical information on new cultural programme, it provides for support from 'culture contact points'. These organs, acting at national level, are established in collaboration with the Member States and on a voluntary basis.
In its above-mentioned communications of 10 February and 9 March 2004, the Commission underlined the importance of profiting from the review of the legal instruments to significantly simplify the design and implementation of Community instruments, and to rationalise these new programmes as much as possible.
The Commission will examine all means currently possible for reducing the constraints on beneficiaries while respecting the financial rules in force, in particular by:
- simplifying forms and application methods;
- making the award procedure more transparent and improving information for applicants;
- applying the principle of proportionality as much as possible, for example by using flat-rate systems for small contributions or for clearly identifiable budgetary items and by limiting the requirements for verification of the financial capacity of beneficiary organisations for small grants.
In order to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of the programme, the Commission will entrust its management to an executive agency under the terms of the Council Regulation laying down the statute for executive agencies to be entrusted with certain tasks in the management of Community programmes i and the 'Guidelines for the establishment and operation of executive agencies financed by the general budget of the European Communities' i .
The European Commission, guided by an ambition to create a common cultural area, respecting national and regional diversities, proposes a programme aimed at developing transnational cultural cooperation through support for cultural cooperation actions, European organisations active in the field of culture, studies and analyses and information and communication.
The Commission therefore proposes that the European Parliament and the Council adopt the attached Decision concerning the Culture 2007 programme.