The national contributions to this overview have been produced by national artists' organisations, representing authors, performers and visual artists. The overview follows on the reports: "On the situation of artists in the European Community" by MEP Doris Pack 1991 and "The situation and role of artists in the European Union" by MEP Helena Vaz da Silva 1999. The overview does not pretend to be a scientifically correct analysis of the position of the artists in the participating countries. However, it allows the artists' organisations to present their views on national developments and European challenges.