The Council of Europe/ERICarts "Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe, 12th edition", 2011 is a web-based and permanently updated information and monitoring system of national cultural policies in Europe. It is a long term project which aims to include all 50 member states co-operating within the context of the European Cultural Convention.

33 cultural policy profiles have recently been updated:

Albania - Profile Updates

- Arts and culture suffered in clashes between central and local government over funding and planning.

- A new Law on Arts and Culture (Nov 2010) will increase centralisation and will impact on other art forms also.

- The Law on Higher Education (2010) was implemented to clarify the education system in accordance with the Bologna agreement.

Armenia - Profile Updates

- A programme for training professionals in the art and culture spheres was developed in 2010.

- A special grant programme of the Armenian Ministry of Culture was created for individual artists, institutions and artists’ unions.

Austria - Profile Updates

- A new Cultural Promotion Act was agreed in Tyrol in May 2010.

- From Jan 2011 self-employed artists may be able to claim benefit when not working and service centres for artists will be set up.

- Controversy over National Library agreement for Google to digitalise the copyright-free library holdings from the 16th to the 19th century.

- The first report on integration and diversity monitoring in Vienna was presented in April 2010.

- Free admission to museums and the National Library for children and youth has increased visitors by 1/3 since Jan 2010.

Azerbaijan - Profile Updates

- The government has initiated procedures to join the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

- A Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue will be held every two years starting in April 2011.

- Expenditure for culture, arts, culture and tourism education and mass media increased by 433% over the last 5 years.

Bulgaria - Profile Updates

- Local authorities are increasingly independent and are drawing up their own cultural policies, as well as taking decisions on their co-financing and development.

- The Mobility travel grant system was broadened to include all non-professional artforms.

- A study was published in 2010 on the Effectiveness of Public Expenditures for Culture in the period 1989-2009.

- A Draft Proposal of the Performing Arts Law was presented in Oct 2010.

- The National Culture Fund has doubled its budget.

Croatia - Profile Updates

- A fund to support the creative industries is one of the casualties of the recession in 2010.

- The switch to digital broadcasting has been implemented in 2010

- Independent cultural organisations in Zagreb suffered major cuts to funding in 2010.

Czech Republic - Profile Updates

- A study on the socio-economic potential of cultural or creative industries in the CR will be completed in 2011.

- The government adopted the Concept of Romany Integration 2010-2013 to improve equality of opportunities.

Denmark - Profile Updates

- In June 2010 a report was launched on promoting Danish arts and culture internationally.

- The recession and the working programme of the new government (Feb 2010) imply severe cuts in municipal cultural budgets.

- A campaign to increase enjoyment of the Danish language was launched in September 2010.
- The recession and the working programme of the new government (Feb 2010) imply severe cuts in municipal cultural budgets.
- There will be cutbacks in library support in 2011.
- A campaign to increase enjoyment of the Danish language was launched in September 2010.

- The new Media Agreement for 2011-2014 focuses on quality and diversity, with more focus on Danish art and culture.

- 240 libraries have closed in the period Jan 2007-March 2010 due to the Local Government Reform.

Georgia - Profile Updates

- Priorities (2011-14) are arts education, promoting Georgia abroad, heritage and museums and artforms.

- The Ministry of Culture, Monument Protection was separated from sports in Oct. 2010, which should benefit culture.

- On 15 October 2010, the new Constitution of Georgia was adopted and clarifies cultural issues.

- In 2011, the financing of culture will be decreased by 10% in contrast to the increase in recent years.

Germany - Profile Updates

- Ruhr.2010 initiated an exemplary transformation: "to a new type of polycentric cultural metropolis"

- In October 2010 a national strategy on civic commitment and action programme on corporate social responsibility was adopted.

- Public culture institutions are struggling financially at local authority level but also on the state level.

- In 2010, public debate about a restructuring of the Copyright Law intensified not only due to the new possibilities of digital production and reproduction; a "cultural flat rate" was discussed but not adopted.

- The budget for culture at the federal level is due to rise by 2.4% in 2011, although local budgets are struggling.

Hungary - Profile Updates

- EU Structural Funds will provide much needed investment to the cultural sector between 2007-2013.

- Changes to state film financing expected in 2011 are due to large scale overspending.

- The Constitution will be re-written by spring 2011 following a government change in 2010.

- Prospects for the 2011 cultural budget are dismal, both at national and local (municipal) levels.

Ireland - Profile Updates

- A new touring policy for 2010 to 2016 has been published by the Arts Council.

- Commission on Taxation suggests abolition of tax exemption for creative artists.

- Funding review recommends discontinuation of the Dept. of Arts, Sport and Tourism and closure of Culture Ireland.

- Arts Council funding has now returned to 2005 levels.

Latvia - Profile Updates

- Since 2011, the Ministry of Culture is responsible for integration.

- 2011 changes in VAT will impact negatively on the cultural sector.

- From 2010 income tax on authors' royalties was increased from 15% to 25%.

- A new Law on Archives came into force in 2011 followed by major reforms.

- The Culture Capital Foundation budget in 2010 was 72% less than in 2008 and the Min. of Culture 43% less.

Liechtenstein - Profile Updates

- In 2010, the government approved a concept for the country's future cultural foreign policy.

Lithuania- Profile Updates

- In 2010 the government reduced the length of time grant support is provided for artists.

FYR of Macedonia - Profile Updates

- A new Law on Realization of Culture will establish long-term objectives and priorities for culture.

- Salaries of actors and directors in professional theatres raised by 60%, but other salaries by only 20% despite protests.

- Figures released in 2010 show that the average salary for cultural workers is still lower than the national average.

- Attendances at art exhibitions increased by 22.2% and the number of participating artists increased by 28%.

Malta - Profile Updates

- A new national cultural policy will be implemented in Malta in 2011 following extensive review work undertaken in 2010.

- Following a number of censorship issues, a thorough review of the present classification system was made in 2010.

Moldova - Profile Updates

- In September 2010, the Romanian Cultural Institute was opened in Chisinau.

- In Oct 2010 a resolution was drawn up to strengthen the relationship with the Moldovan diaspora, supported by grants.

- The Law on Archaeological Heritage was adopted in Sept 2010.

Norway - Profile Updates

- The state budgets allocated to culture are still growing despite the financial crisis.

- From January 2011, the Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority will be phased out and the tasks will be split up.

- National surveys show that the share of the total household spending allocated to cultural activities and goods is increasing.

Poland - Profile Updates

- A new programme to promote Polish culture abroad is linked to the EU presidency in 2011.

- The needs and development of the creative industries are addressed in a new report.

- The VAT rate on books and special periodicals will rise from 0 to 5% in 2011.

- The Fund to Support Artistic Creation was expanded to provide social assistance.

Portugal - Profile Updates

- In 2010 a Strategic Plan for State Museums was launched.

- The percentage of the central budget for culture averaged 0.5% over a period of thirteen years to 2010, compared to 1.1% for local government.

- A new public-private partnership will see 1% of project costs donated to conserve cultural buildings.

Romania - Profile Updates

- 2010 saw the establishment of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, separating the two sectors from religious affairs.

- In May 2010 a new interministerial committee on urban planning, architecture and construction was established.

- A number of new capacity building projects to develop technical skills in the cultural sector are being organised in 2010-2011.

Russian Federation - Profile Updates

- The budget of the Culture Ministry will be 30% less in 2012 than in 2009. However, a higher percentage will be allocated to cultural activities.

- VAT was extended to periodicals and other taxes increased retail prices by 25-30%.

- In 2010, the Law on Support of Socially Oriented Non-Commercial Organisations will benefit cultural organisations.

- A Nov 2010 law on the transfer of heritage to religious organisations raised concerns by culture professionals.

- A new law from Jan 2011 will offer more independence to public institutions in management and sourcing funding.

Serbia - Profile Updates

- In 2010, The Cultural Contact Point was integrated within the Ministry.

- Belgrade City Council is competing for the title of European Cultural Capital 2020.

- The internal structure of the Ministry of Culture was re-organised to reflect new priorities due to the financial crisis.

- The new Law on Culture is in force since March 2010 but some issues are yet to be resolved.

- In 2010, the Ministry of Culture's share of the national budget was almost the lowest in 10 years.

Spain - Profile Updates

- Protests by artists, authors and publishers have led to a new interministerial committee to fight piracy on the internet.

- A new report analyses the impact of e-books.

- The 2010 Act on Audiovisual Communication aims to prevent and eliminate gender discrimination in the sector.

- The General Act on Audiovisual Communication guarantees freedom, transparency and pluralism.

- Some believe that new cultural diversity guidelines from 2012 may have negative consequences for film production.

- The Ministry of Culture faces a 12% reduction in the budget for 2011.

Sweden- Profile Updates

- A new Cultural Policy Bill was passed by parliament setting new objectives for Swedish cultural policy.

- A new model for agreements on support of regional cultural policy will be implemented in 2011.

- Changes in the unemployment insurance rules have been feared to harm artist groups on short-term employment contracts, although the impact on the cultural sector is not yet clear.

- From January 2011 a new agency will be charged with providing analyses of cultural activities.

- A new culture fund is being created, to be supported by government and private donors.

Switzerland - Profile Updates

- The Museum Law which came into force on 1 January 2010 provides Switzerland with a national museum policy for the first time.

- A new higher education act currently under debate is not expected before 2015.

- The Law on the Promotion of Culture has been passed and strategic aims will be defined for the first time for the period 2012-2016.

Ukraine - Profile Updates

- Changes in tax and administration systems from Jan 2011 will impact on the cultural sector.

- The Ministry of Culture is changing its structure, commitments and functions and reducing its staff.

- A new Law on Culture was signed on 6 January 2011.

- A draft law On Concept of the Public Ethno-National Policy of Ukraine was published in Sept 2010.

- In 2010, a priority is to develop support measures for national minorities that do not have a homeland, such as Roma, Assyrians, Karaites.