Culture is a powerful bridge between people, helps to strengthen civil society, to prevent radicalisation and conflicts, and to disseminate EU values. The CULT Committee stressed:
- Culture is essential part EU foreign policy
- It helps to prevent conflicts and promotes EU values
- A cultural visa programme should be created
MEPs also recommend:
- to develop an effective EU strategy for international cultural relations, accompanied by an annual action plan;
- to provide a separate EU budget line to support international cultural relations and launch an EU programme on international mobility and exchange for young cultural professionals and artists;
- to include culture in all existing and future EU agreements with third countries;
- to create a cultural visa programme, along the lines of the existing Scientific Visa Programme, for third-country nationals, artists and other professionals in the cultural field;
- to appoint a “focal point” in each EU delegation to liaise with member state’s cultural institutes, but also local civil society and actors.
The resolution on an EU strategy for international cultural relations was approved by 462 votes to 137, with 58 abstentions.
Complete press release available <link http: www.europarl.europa.eu news en press-room culture-deserves-a-bigger-role-in-eu-diplomacy external-link-new-window external link in new>here.
