The statement “Citizen-oriented Cohesion Policy with a prominent place for culture” was released on 17 September 2018 and calls for a Cohesion Policy that is citizen driven. The EU Cohesion Policy has the potential to bring member states together and bridge the gap between them, but only if it acknowledges the citizen and supports community led development and fostering of active citizenship. The Alliance also calls for an “open and multi-stakeholder debate on how to design a citizen-centred, truly effective and forward-looking Cohesion Policy”.
In the statement, the Alliance calls for:
- Include culture through all investment priorities. Acknowledge the intrinsic value of culture, arts and cultural heritage, alongside with their significant contribution to sustainable development, social cohesion, economic progress, and advancement of the European integration.
- Adopt a citizen-centred approach to the EU’s Cohesion Policy, implying a proper integration of culture, in the Policy Objectives of the future European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Social Fund Plus.
- Encourage Member States to embed culture in their Operational Programmes, and provide Managing Authorities with clear recommendations in this respect. Recommendations must be designed in a close collaboration with cultural and creative sectors.
- Simplify access for cultural actors to Regional Development and Cohesion Funds; produce practical guidance for the cultural and creative sectors on how to develop projects in the Funds’ framework. DG EAC should take the lead in developing such guidance, in a close dialogue with national and regional authorities, as well as stakeholders from the cultural sector.
- Explore and deepen synergies between the Cohesion Policy Funds and the Creative Europe programme, both Culture and MEDIA strands.
