Brussels, 25/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - EU culture ministers, meeting in informal Council in Milan on Wednesday 24 September discussed a number of matters of current interest: the cross-cutting dimension of European cultural policies and the review of the EUROPE 2020 strategy, copyright, culture as an instrument in support of strategic goals and development, and new approaches to the governance of cultural heritage through the involvement of public and private stakeholders and also civil society.
The role of culture as a sustainable and socially responsible development resource is not sufficiently recognised and too often opportunities to exploit its potential are missed. Cultural diversity is, however, the fourth pillar of the sustainable development model, alongside economic growth, social inclusion and environmental balance, says the Italian Presidency. It notes that the current review of the EUROPE 2020 strategy, to be completed in 2015, should provide the opportunity to accord culture the position it deserves. In this perspective, it is important to emphasise the cross-cutting nature of any cultural policy and encourage greater synergy with other policies, such as employment, social cohesion, regional development, tourism, environment, taxation, education, research, innovation and the digital agenda. Ministers indicated that the planned transfer of responsibility for the audio-visual sector from DG EAC (education and culture) to DG Communication “should by no means imply that the audio-visual industry is not to be considered a core cultural sector any more”. On the contrary, this measure should further boost internal policy coordination and foster the mainstreaming of cultural policy. With regard to cinema and the audio-visual sector in general, ministers believe that coordination of cultural policy with policies on protecting intellectual property, combating piracy and establishing a fair fiscal framework is one of the most urgent issues to be resolved. Ministers also discussed the close link between culture and tourism: together they are capable of making a crucial contribution to the economic and social development of the European Union, with cultural tourism, the expression of different national identities, receiving ever increasing prominence. New approaches to governance of cultural heritage that involve both public and private players and integrate all administrative levels (local, regional, national and international) are key to releasing the full potential of cultural heritage. (IL)