European external cultural relations: paving new ways?

Abstract

This study forms part of a reflection on the future actions of the European Union (EU) in the field of external cultural relations. It begins by taking stock of the main EU mechanisms for supporting European external cultural relations since 2007 in order to ascertain which policy areas are involved in funding culture and the kinds of projects and actors that receive funding. The second part of the paper looks at the shortcomings of current EU funding possibilities and proposes some alternative models of cooperation and funding, which have been developed by other actors in the area of European external cultural relations. The review of the current situation with regard to EU support for external cultural relations is largely based on internet research into various EU programmes and on interviews with representatives of the EU. The alternative cooperation and financial models presented in the second part of the study were identified within the framework of interviews with stakeholders in European external cultural relations and in an experts' workshop held in Brussels on 20 February 2014 under the banner "New cooperation models for European external cultural relations".