Diversity makes the Difference

The Peace Palace in The Hague, Holland was the appropriate setting for a meeting March 9 on European Foreign Policy and Culture.

Spanish culture or EU culture?

Policymakers, representatives of national cultural institutes, media and others met to discuss the topic: Diversity Makes the Difference.

Integration of culture in EU
The basic conclusion is that EU should promote the cultural dimension of EU. EU's economic, foreign, security, and social policies shouldn't stand alone. An inclusion of the cultural dimension would according to the delegates help the EU "to engage sensitively in conflict prevention, invest significantly in post-conflict reconciliation, and strengthen and develop cultural and educational capacities as well as sustainable local structures."

Six Hague recommendations

1. A EU framework should be set up with a EU dialogue partner that can communicate with EUNIC (network of national institutes and agencies) and the third sector (foundations and cultural networks) to enhance transparency, public debate, commitment and monitoring of progress.
2. EU should use culture and "added European value" in a more conscientious manner, for instance by stimulating "good-practice" projects.
3. 2008 is designated as Year of Intercultural Dialogue. A conference on European-value-adding cooperative action in and with third countries as well as information exchange on funding and resources was recommended.
4. Workshop for young decision-makers in 2009 that should compare administrative regulations regarding cultural projects in third countries.
5. Fund for pilot projects
6. The cultural sector is encouraged to lobby for integration of culture into EU foreign policy.

Should culture be on the EU agenda at all?
Much is at stake. There are many actors on the arena all wanting a bit of the spotlight. They are all tiptoeing around the hot pot. Culture is not an ingredient all Europeans want to see in the big communal pot called EU. Further, there are well-known differences at the national levels concerning the importance attached to cultural politics as such. Where England is famous for politically not pursuing a vibrant culture, France is well-known for the political significance assigned to this sphere.

Add to this that Euroscepticism is prevalent in all of EU, particularly in the 'older member countries'. Bureaucracy and too much rhetoric are a few of the key issues amongst the sceptics. If diversity makes the difference, then the question that must be asked is, whether these six recommendations will make the European cultural diversity flourish or whether they will wither away into one of the usual bland European formulations of "togetherness? What's your gut feeling?  

Related Information
European cultural foundation, www.eurocult.org/home
LabforCulture, www.eurocult.org/home/