Changes in society and politics at the international level are affecting cultural cooperation in Europe. Some of these trends lead to a re-orientation of the scope and form of policies and official programmes of national governments and their cultural institutes.

On the one hand, the importance attributed to bilateral cultural programmes – particularly within Europe – has decreased. Public funding is being diverted towards international events, theme years and anniversaries. Most of these have a high political profile or links to ‘cultural tourism’.

On the other hand, a broader definition of culture is influencing the content of cultural cooperation projects. There is a shift away from traditionally funded one-directional or bilateral exchanges of artists or artistic projects.

New actors

Non-governmental organisations, networks, foundations or partnerships (either between or with local and regional public bodies) play an increasingly dominant role in European cultural cooperation. These new actors are addressing or helping to overcome various challenges, including: shortage of resources; impediments to mobility; information/knowledge of opportunities; language barriers; mental barriers and stereotypes. In that context, they collect and distribute information on cultural cooperation opportunities, identify potential partners, organise training workshops, report on successful cooperation projects, and support joint festivals and exhibitions.

Multilateral exchanges

EU programmes, especially Culture 2000, have been an important source of support for organisations that are prepared to act within an expanded European cultural space. The problems identified relate more to the sustainability of the partnerships. Another problem is a lack of genuine interest in true cooperative, or interactive, transnational challenges. Some operators are not really prepared for these challenges, such as language barriers or management capabilities. Frequently, one finds ‘forced cooperation’ with foreign partners, which is sought mainly for obtaining EU resources that are no longer available from public bodies at home.

West and Eastern Europe

At present, there is not a level playing field for those from the West and East of Europe wanting to engage in transnational European cultural cooperation. Policy strategies, resources and legislative frameworks related to cultural cooperation are still in the process of development. In Central and Eastern European countries, there are ongoing debates about the ‘neglected’ ethical dimensions of cultural cooperation and the danger of adopting a ‘purely western model’.