Member states and the European Union ... an open method of coordination for culture

The European Commission is putting in place a more structured dialogue with the cultural sector, but in order to put into practice the contents of the agenda for culture an open method of coordination has been devised.

It differs from the Community method, in that the OMC is a more flexible form of governance that aims to improve the coordination between member states.
It is already used in areas where the strategic objectives of the EU are being put in place but where the Commission’s competence is limited (notably employment, education, youth and social affairs).

The European Commission & cultural actors ... towards a structured dialogue ...

In order to put in place the Communication on Culture, the Commission has decided to set up a regular and structured dialogue with cultural actors.
This structured dialogue implies : the setting up of a Culture Forum and the emergence of European plateforms of cultural actors from civil society at large, the mapping of the sector, the introduction of a cultural dimension to the public European debates and the following up of works with social partners from the cultural sector.
This process also aims to identify the key interlocutors that represent the cultural sector, in order to engage in a regular exchange of opinions and benchmarking and to encourage cultural operators to take part in the process of elaboration, of follow through and of assessment of policies put in place.

A European agenda for Culture in a globalizing world … new challenges, new methods of work

Following the communication by the European Commission in May 2007 entitled « A European agenda for culture in a globalizing world », the Council adopted a resolution « A European agenda for Culture » in November 2007.
As the first major step in establishing a European cultural strategy, this text aims to reinforce community actions, such as coordination between member states in the field of culture.
Three series of objectives are identified for a common working method : cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, creativity and the external relations of the EU.
 
New working methods are suggested to put these aims into practice. They are based on a more structured cooperation between member states and the European institutions (open method of coordination – OMC), a more structured dialogue with actors from civil society, and the integration of culture in all the relevant policies of the EU coupled with better knowledge of the sector through evaluation, assessment, statistics...

culture and european challenges ... 3 specific objectives

The european cultural agenda specifies 3 sets of objectives for a common work : cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, creativity and EU external relations.