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

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Manuel Barroso, President <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>European</strong> Commission, was speaking – see previous page – ata conference which marked <strong>the</strong> first <strong>of</strong> a series <strong>of</strong> events 96 ga<strong>the</strong>ring top intellectuals and<strong>European</strong> policy-makers to discuss <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> culture in <strong>the</strong> <strong>European</strong> Union.I agree fully with Barroso. What, ho<strong>we</strong>ver, does <strong>the</strong> term, `proper attention’, mean? After all, asmy study has indicated after analyzing <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong> <strong>EU</strong> enlargement on culture in nearly all <strong>the</strong>countries which joined, culture was ignored in that process. Not only that – <strong>the</strong> link bet<strong>we</strong>enculture and economy was not established directly, only indirectly, and no mechanisms have beenput in place to examine any possible future interaction bet<strong>we</strong>en <strong>the</strong>se two. It is not at all clear how`proper attention’ will be manifested.In o<strong>the</strong>r words, what is <strong>the</strong> future <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> treatment <strong>of</strong> culture in <strong>the</strong> <strong>EU</strong>? In my view, <strong>the</strong>re are onlytwo possible scenarios. The first one continues an approach towards culture which can best bedescribed as <strong>the</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> `l’exception culturelle’. This mostly focusses on <strong>cultural</strong> identity and<strong>the</strong>refore should be dealt with by <strong>the</strong> government which is closest to that culture. Its concern isto preserve national cultures and existing <strong>policies</strong>. This is <strong>the</strong> concept that has so far dominated<strong>European</strong> <strong>cultural</strong> policy-making.Cultural diversity: <strong>the</strong> way forward?The alternative would be to move towards a more dynamic and contemporary view <strong>of</strong> culture.It would be both about commercial and non-commercial culture, and about cultures growingand interacting with each o<strong>the</strong>r. This approach to culture perhaps could be best described as<strong>the</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> `<strong>cultural</strong> diversity’. In my view, adopting this approach would require <strong>the</strong><strong>EU</strong> member states agreeing to pursue more proactive <strong>cultural</strong> policy-making. This is essential, todeal with issues such as all aspects <strong>of</strong> culture being liable to be turned into products with a price(commodification), and conceptual issues such as `<strong>the</strong> horizontal and vertical integration<strong>of</strong> <strong>cultural</strong> markets’. Issues such as this have been much affected by developments in thosesectors which have long been on <strong>the</strong> <strong>EU</strong> agenda and where member states have agreed toshared <strong>policies</strong>.And if policy-makers turn away from this strategy, what <strong>the</strong>n? Then <strong>the</strong>re will be a <strong>need</strong> for evenmore `exceptions’ for culture, to protect it from <strong>the</strong> <strong>impact</strong> <strong>of</strong> measures which indirectly impingeon culture. Indeed, for those concerned about <strong>cultural</strong> policy issues this would be <strong>the</strong> only way toinclude culture on <strong>the</strong> agenda.70Part 3 What will <strong>the</strong> future bring?

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