Why we need European cultural policies: the impact of EU ...

Gray called for comparative research of cultural policies to be reformulated in a way which wouldmore resemble the analysis of other public policies. He suggested possible elements important forpolicy analysis, while asking questions such as, what is the subject of that analysis and how is thesubject being analyzed. This approach could be described as an approach demanding continualinteraction between theory and administrative practice.If we look at the matrix proposed by Gray and try to apply the first approach to our topic of interestor to look at the possible impact of EU enlargement on cultural policies in transition countries,numerous obstacles immediately crop up. The first one is the lack of definition of a cultural policyof the European Union. Because of this, it is impossible either to define a `choice of scope’,or to draw a line between not only public and private responsibility, but also between nationalresponsibility in the field of culture and handing such responsibilities up to a higher `umbrella’body, such as the EU. This is an issue which will occur again in this study.However, the second approach, the definition of structures and instruments used in creatingpublic policies, could serve as a good starting point. If we start by analyzing cultural policies atthe national level, then look at different structures and instruments on the European level relevantfor what we consider to be the scope of cultural policies nationally, we discover – perhapsunexpectedly – numerous laws that significantly affect culture but are not explicitly ordered withinthe EU’s restrictively envisioned policies on culture.The third approach, which highlights the fact that cultural policy is a shifting, even volatilephenomenon, subject to different influences, illustrates the complexity that we need to deal withas we navigate the labyrinth of conflicting understandings and interpretations of the role of culturein the European Union.In other words, the main challenge remains:■ how to define our field of study■ how to identify which instruments to consider as an integral part of Europeancultural policyor■ how to identify which factors are relevant for culture in the broader enlargementpolicy agenda.Culture: a lack of theory?A number of authors have explored possible definitions of culture. Notably Bennett, forexample, who calls for culture to be regarded primarily as an area of government intervention,akin to health, education and so on, not as a subject for abstract debate (Bennett 1992). Heargued for a restrictive definition of culture, which includes a range of `institutionally conceivedprocesses’ which in turn form the main parameters of action in this area, especially those thatare characteristic of contemporary societies. These, even if they are not exclusively within agovernment’s competence, in some ways are determined by governments (Bennett 1989).20Part 1 The conceptual frame of the study