On Thursday, 20 April, the Presidency of the Council of the EU will seek the endorsement of national delegations to send its conclusions on exiled artists to Member States’ deputy permanent representatives to the European Union (Coreper 1). According to the draft conclusions obtained by EUROPE, only one EU country is expected to oppose the text.
As in its previous version—details of which were given in our columns (see EUROPE 13119/14)—the text encourages Member States to develop “safe havens” and “cities of refuge” allowing artists who are at risk in their country of origin to continue their activities for a limited period of time.
Nevertheless, the Swedish Presidency added that these urgent needs must be complemented by opportunities for refugee artists to become members of local cultural life in their own right. For example, it calls for [displaced artists] to be encouraged to learn the host country’s language. Indeed, the language barrier represents a major obstacle to Ukrainian refugees’ integration according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (see EUROPE 13133/15).
In fact, although the text is intended for all artists in exile, it continues to be largely viewed in the context of the war in Ukraine. It thus stresses, “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is also an attack on Ukraine’s cultural identity, and [...] the cultural dimension has an important part to play in the different forms of support to Ukraine.”
With these conclusions, Member States will therefore ask the European Commission and the High Representative of the [European] Union for Foreign Affairs to prepare a report on national and EU bilateral assistance to Ukraine’s cultural sector. Furthermore, the text welcomes the initiatives established within the scope of the Creative Europe programme to support Ukrainian artists affected by the war as well as the initiatives supported by Erasmus+ for Ukrainian art students.
The draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/6cd (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)