16.07.2015 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

while enlargement negotiations <strong>we</strong>re in progress, <strong>the</strong>re <strong>we</strong>re some changes to <strong>the</strong> Communityprogrammes, aimed at making it easier to take part in <strong>the</strong>m. In <strong>the</strong> Agenda 2000 <strong>the</strong> Commissionnoted that <strong>the</strong> participation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> countries <strong>of</strong> central and eastern Europe in programmes for <strong>the</strong>implementation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> acquis communautaire would provide, `a useful preparation for accessionin familiarizing <strong>the</strong> candidate countries and <strong>the</strong>ir citizens with <strong>the</strong> Union’s <strong>policies</strong> and workingmethods’, and enhance <strong>the</strong>ir ability to apply <strong>the</strong> acquis communautaire and not just to incorporateit into national law.47Besides <strong>the</strong> MEDIA and Culture 2000 programmes, <strong>cultural</strong> projects can be financed fromseveral o<strong>the</strong>r Community programmes 48 as <strong>we</strong>ll as from pre-accession funds.49 In his study<strong>of</strong> structural funds, enlargement and <strong>the</strong> <strong>cultural</strong> sector, Mercouris notes that <strong>the</strong> structural fundsrepresented an important source for financing culture in <strong>the</strong> <strong>EU</strong> member states. Ho<strong>we</strong>ver, whenhe completed his study in 2002, with <strong>the</strong> exception <strong>of</strong> Bulgaria and Romania, candidate countries<strong>we</strong>re not making use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>cultural</strong> components <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> structural funds through PHARE, ISPA andSAPARD (Mercouris 2002).Culture in <strong>the</strong> <strong>EU</strong> Treaty and acquis communautaireCulture can be found in only a few articles <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>EU</strong> Treaty. Article 3 refers to general supportfor <strong>the</strong> promotion <strong>of</strong> culture and education, Article 5 explains <strong>the</strong> principle <strong>of</strong> subsidiarity andArticle 30 refers to <strong>the</strong> free circulation <strong>of</strong> <strong>cultural</strong> products. Article 87.3.b, which highlights<strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> culture in <strong>the</strong> context <strong>of</strong> state aid regulations, provides an exception from<strong>the</strong>se rules about aid to states in cases where aid is granted to promote culture and heritageconservation. This only applies where such aid does not significantly affect trading conditionsand competition in <strong>the</strong> Community, or as Article 87 puts it, `to an extent contrary to <strong>the</strong>common interest’.Article 151 is certainly <strong>the</strong> most important reference point for culture in <strong>the</strong> Treaty.50Ho<strong>we</strong>ver, given our understanding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> broader scope <strong>of</strong> <strong>cultural</strong> policy, which includes any<strong>policies</strong> that have an <strong>impact</strong> on culture, <strong>the</strong>re are many more provisions in <strong>the</strong> Treaty and manyparts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> acquis communautaire, which should be taken into consideration. Articles 23, 24, 39and 55 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Treaty refer to <strong>the</strong> free circulation <strong>of</strong> goods and services and <strong>the</strong> free movement <strong>of</strong>people within <strong>the</strong> Union. Article 30 limits free circulation <strong>of</strong> goods when it concerns <strong>the</strong> import,export or transit <strong>of</strong> <strong>cultural</strong> goods <strong>of</strong> special artistic, historic or archaeological value. In 1992, <strong>the</strong>Council <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>European</strong> Union adopted <strong>the</strong> directive on <strong>the</strong> export <strong>of</strong> <strong>cultural</strong> goods 51 that wasamended by two directives adopted in 1996 and 2001.5240Part 2 Cultural issues in <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> <strong>EU</strong> enlargement

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!