The aim of this paper has been to assess the positive impacts and efforts of national policies to enhance European cultural cooperation, as well as to outline any obstacles. Recent studies at the EU level and the resources of the 39-country "Compendium of cultural policies and trends" provided the main basis for an evaluation of policies, programmes and instruments that shape or influence trans-border collaboration in the arts and media. Conclusions point to possible strategies for action at the European level.

The report distinguishes between “national policies and practices” – sometimes labelled as "cultural diplomacy" (aiming directly at European, regional or bilateral trans-border cultural cooperation), and “domestic policies or frameworks influencing this cooperation”.

Regarding the organisation of cultural diplomacy, the study of 44 countries shows that:

• In over two thirds of countries, responsibility for cultural cooperation is being shared between different ministries, usually those in charge of foreign affairs and culture.
• Membership of official regional cooperation bodies that are relevant to culture is very high, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, sometimes for political and economic considerations rather than to improve cultural cooperation.
• There is a trend away from staff-intensive cultural institutes towards individual grants dedicated to selected, temporary events with high public visibility.
• A growing trend in trans-border cultural cooperation is for activities to happen outside the direct purview of national governments. Some of these may involve public bodies at the local or regional level, but most of them can probably be characterised as "direct encounters" between cultural professionals.
• There is, however, a noticeable "tightening of control" on the part of national governments, whether through specific legal and political "frameworks" on which many cultural exchanges still depend (e.g. visas or work permits), or through "contract funding" and other controlling practices.

An assessment of the main trends in the content of foreign cultural relations reaches the conclusion, that:

• More “dialogue-oriented approaches” are gradually replacing some of the unilateral activities.
• Media and cultural industries are now receiving more attention in cultural diplomacy, as is national "image-building" through culture (e.g. via heritage and related cultural tourism).
• In nearly all Central and Eastern European countries, relations with expatriate communities ("diaspora") are of great interest to policy-makers.

Regarding domestic policies and frameworks of relevance for trans-border cooperation projects or mobile artists and cultural operators, the following issues were found to be particularly relevant:

• Individual support schemes for artists and journalists, including travel grants and residency programmes with destinations and goals determined by the state and other sponsoring bodies.
• Public schemes of “market support” for artistic work and the cultural industries, such as media content regulations or arts promotion in foreign countries (e.g. via art fairs, translations etc.).
• “Dissemination support”, including for international arts festivals;
• Legal and social frameworks, e.g. as regards taxation or social security.

Action on the part of the EU (or some of its member states) could address the last of these categories, by improving legal and social conditions for mobile artists and by helping to establish joint "European Cultural Institutes" in some world regions.

www.culturalpolicies.net

Chapters on International Cultural Cooperation as part of the Cultural Policy Profiles
Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe (www.culturalpolicies.net)
Each chapter contains:

• Overview of main structures and trends
• Public actors and cultural diplomacy
• European / international actors and programmes
• Cross-border intercultural dialogue and co-operation
• Other relevant issues