The Culture Action Europe team for the ‘We are more’ campaign, which aims to highlight to policymakers the value of European cultural activities ?has provided an update on progress.
The ‘We are more’ campaign states:
We have just published our Statement on the proposal for the future structural funds that are part of the EU Regional Policy. The structural funds represent the biggest source of funding for culture-based initiatives at European level. The future structural funds are also negotiated on local, regional and national level in this very moment, and to help you advocate for clearer and more accessible support to culture, we have also prepared a campaign guide that explains the different levels of negotiations of this complex EU policy.
Alongside the negotiations on the future structural funds, the negotiations on the future EU Culture Programme ‘Creative Europe’ have also continued to evolve over the last couple of months. On the 9-11 of May, all EU Ministers for Culture will meet in Brussels to discuss the Programme. During their meeting, that will be led by the Danish EU Presidency, the Ministers are expected to reach a preliminary agreement on the content of the new Programme (a so-called partial general approach).
On this occasion, we will convey the campaign message and signatures to the Ministers jointly with the broad support from all organisations that make up the Culture Action Europe membership and all individuals who have signed the manifesto – highlighting the campaign demands and its aspirations for culture in the next long-term EU budget 2014-2020.
The campaign will not, as you know, stop on the 10th of May 2012, but will continue until the end of the negotiations and implementations of the new EU policies and programmes in 2013 – together with your dedicated support we will continue to advocate until the campaign demands are met!
As you will see from the news items below, March and April have been hectic months for the campaign, with activities taking place all over Europe, from Istanbul to Oslo! We are also very happy and proud that the acclaimed Italian singer Gianna Nannini has become an official Campaign Ambassador. About her support to the campaign, Gianna Nannini says: ‘Being part of Europe means accepting cultural differences while preserving our individuality: we are more than one country or one culture, we need to act to preserve our heritage and make our collective voice heard. This is the only way to outline a future that can revive Europe and its cultural and artistic role.’
See the campaign guide at: LINK
See the statement at: LINK
See earlier reports at: LINK
