A community of cultures 
The European Union and the arts

European Commission

Manuscript completed in December 2001

2000 - 24 pp. - 16.2 x 22.9 cm
Catalogue number: NA-40-01-456-EN-C

Illustrated version:    449 KB

By giving the European Union a say in cultural matters, the Member States' governments set out to create a 'Europe of the peoples', the idea being to make people in Europe aware of their shared history and values, to make them more aware of European culture and Europe's heritage, but at the same time to cultivate their awareness of local and regional cultures. More specifically, the point was to foster cultural exchanges within Europe, enable the public at large - and artists and culture professionals in particular - to get involved in European projects, to encourage creativity and to make culture accessible to the greatest possible number of people.