Conditions for success. The importance and efficacy of the EU's action in the cultural field are starting to be recognised. A few days ago in San Sebastián (Spain), the "European of the Year" prize was awarded to Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Culture and Audiovisuals, for her work for European cinema. In the meantime, the renown of the Erasmus programme has spread well beyond University circles; new generations of students know it and make use of it, the film L'Auberge Espagnole brought it to the wider public, and its "Erasmus Mundus" offshoot (for students from third countries) has taken off. I could cite other successes: the "European cities of Culture" (which on occasion breathe new life into traditions and ambitions which had seemed to have died out), various musical initiatives which have gained prestige and respect, such as the Mahler orchestra, and many others.
These things do not happen by chance. To be recognised, the EU's activity in this delicate area has had plenty of obstacles to overcome, and those in charge have had to carve out a clear concept of their role. This has not always been the case. The EU's goal is to unify the people which belong to it, to get rid of boundaries, to transcend nationalisms; but this triptych doesn't work for culture (of, for that matter, for sport, but unfortunately the Court of Justice and, to an extent, the Commission, took a bit too long to work this out). For culture, the objective is exactly the opposite: to safeguard all specific characteristics, respect differences, and encourage them if needs be. I remember the days when competition officials thought that State aid to the cinema was only allowable for corporations bringing together writers, directors and actors from several Member States. Today we know that co-productions are often useful and occasionally necessary, but should never be forced upon the industry because it is the national schools that imbue European cinema with its value and its flavour, and they should be helped and encouraged in themselves. We also know that officials should stay out of creative artistic matters, and leave them to the artists whose business it is. At the moment, thanks to Viviane Reding and her colleagues (and also some of their predecessors, who showed them the way), everything is clearer, the distrust between creators and Commission gone, and the usefulness of European actions recognised. Viviane Reding even feels that the concept of "cultural exception" is outmoded, although it was useful for a time, when the principle that cultural goods were not directly comparable to industrial products needed to be hammered home. The word "exception" is no longer used, she said, our action aims to safeguard "cultural diversity", i.e. what makes Europe different from other continents; national, regional and even local specificities.
A disaster and several successes. To sum up what Europe does for culture would take more space than I've got in this column. For cinema, the San Sebastián prize speaks volumes. The number of European films which enjoy European support is considerable, and it is often award-winning ones (rather than "underground" ones, like the kind that are all too often supported by national mechanisms). The situation for European cinema is far from perfection, but, in western Europe, the future looks bright. The countries of central and eastern Europe, where production has crashed (an absolute disaster, a tragedy, says Ms Reding: in these countries, all there is to see is Hollywood movies), should understand that salvation lies in Europe, not in subjection to the Americans.
For the "education" plank, I referred to Erasmus; but there is also the "Bologna declaration" to create a European university area, then Ms Reding's idea of a "European degree recognition system", as already exists for various professional qualifications, and which will be based on criteria of quality. But this presupposes a firm commitment on the part of the Universities themselves, and some of them unfortunately seem to draw more inspiration from apathy and routine than from ambition and dynamism. There is the census of works of art from the whole continent, a colossal but necessary tome, then the effort to recreate parts of history from a European point of view, and many more initiatives. I will stop now, because it was not my intention to catalogue all these initiatives, but simply to use the opportunity of this prize being awarded in the Basque country to show just how wrong those imbeciles are who believe (because they read it in the British so-called "popular" press) that all Europe's about is the size of peas, and similar rubbish.
In four weeks' time, the responsibility for these dossiers will go to Jan Figel, but Viviane Reding will not be far away, because her new portfolio, media and the information society, will maintain her link with the world of culture.
(F.R.)