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Bigger...
Better... Beautiful?
Conference
on the impact of EU enlargement on cultural opportunities across Europe
Budapest,
14-17 February, 2002
Summary
of Recommendations
A summary of key recommendations that emerged from the discussions in
various sessions, where support was evident from the majority of the participants.
1. There needs to
be an EU vision for culture which encompasses:
- A statement of strategic objectives
- A programme to support mobility
- A programme to support research and development
- Targeted production funding for accession countries
- An ending to Commission conceived "emblematic" cultural projects.
2. If the EU believes language diversity to be important, then translation
programmes are crucial and should be funded.
3. The cultural sector should lobby a matrix of policy-makers, not just
those from the cultural sector
4. The cultural sector should also pay attention to basic issues such
as labour conditions, particularly in the CEE countries (noting that a
practical solution would be a fund to top up wages/salaries in CEE countries).
5. Regarding Culture 2000:
- A possible feasibility phase should be explored
- More needs to be done about delays in contracting and making payment
-
The first payment should be more than 50% given the lengthy delay that
exists in receiving the final payment
- The deadlines should be set earlier so that projects for the year in
question can begin at the beginning of that year
- A special mobility fund should be part of the programme
- The program should target "not yet candidate" countries as well.
- In order to respond to cultural initiatives, enthusiasm is needed on
both sides, and this is not the case when one is faced with administrators.
6. The cultural sector must start lobbying now to influence the objectives
and criteria for the successor to the Culture 2000 programme
7. The culture and media sectors must gain a more prominent place in the
EU Structural Funds. Accession countries should be prepared for the type
of planning, fund management and evaluation which is commonly employed
in connection with the EU Structural Funds in the present Member States
8. Cultural projects funded from the structural or the trans-national
funds need to be better identified and promoted.
9. Commissioner Viviane Reding should write to the heads of state of all
Member States and the accession countries urging them to write to those
responsible at the regional level for allocating the Structural Funds
to note the importance of the cultural sector.
10. There should be a ‘risk fund' - which would be used to invest in people
with new ideas
11. Practical programmes that can help develop sustainable local creative
industries should be highlighted
12. Follow-up to this event was essential, and a further conference in
2003 should be seriously investigated
Participants were asked to take these recommendations, as appropriate,
away with them and use them as the basis for lobbying their national and
European representatives.
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