2016-2020 (Cultural Diplomacy Platform)

The European Culture Forum

On 20-21 April 2016, the European Culture Forum (postponed from 2015) gathered all the European cultural sector for two days of discussions and exchanges on the main aims of the European Agenda for Culture, as well on the daily work of the EU in the sector. This edition of the Forum offered a lot of space for the issue of international cultural relations:

• Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the EC gave a speech on the topic, announcing the Joint Communication “Towards a strategy on international cultural relations”;
• It was followed by a plenary session entitled “Can culture improve Europe’s standing in the world?“, moderated by Gottfried Wagner, special advisor to More Europe – external cultural relations;
• A flash session entitled “Culture in EU external relations: available and future instruments” presented the existing and forthcoming instruments supporting the role of culture in EU external relations and/or cultural cooperation activities between the EU and its partner countries.