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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

EU and Brazil boost their cultural cooperation

Today, an action plan on cultural diversity, cultural heritage and development of a sustainable cultural and creative economy has been signed by the EU and Brazil. Discover the contents of this plan.Culture is a boom area for the European economy, with studies showing that it contributes 4.5% to Europe's GDP and provides jobs for 8.5 million people. Brazil also has a vibrant cultural and heritage sector: the country has 11 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the historic towns of Ouro Preto, Olinda and Salvador de Bahia, which attract thousands of European and other tourists every year.

Commissioner Vassiliou and Minister Ana de Hollanda signed the new 'Joint Programme on Culture', which runs until the end of 2014, in the margins of the EU-Brazil summit, which represents a further positive step in EU-Brazil economic relations (see IP/11/1138– MEMO/11/651). The accord will set in train a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing policy exchanges, in particular linked to the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, to which the EU is a party in addition to individual Member States. The Commissioner and Minister will take part in the first of these initiatives, a round-table on the place of culture in contemporary societies and economies, which will be held in Brussels tomorrow (5 October).

Background

The Joint Programme on Culture between the European Commission and Brazil builds on a Joint Declaration on Culture signed in May 2009. Within the context of this dialogue, the Commission and Brazilian Ministry of Culture engage in regular exchanges on policies and best practice. In particular, they focus on existing and future cultural cooperation, such as jointly organised seminars and events linked to the priorities identified in the Joint Declaration and the Joint Programme on Culture.

These priorities include:

- Policies to create a favourable environment for the cultural and creative economy;

- Improving cooperation and exchanges between the EU and Brazil, including audiovisual co-productions;

- Sharing professional expertise on the preservation of cultural and natural heritage, including landscapes, fostering its promotion;

- The promotion and implementation of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Source  Press room - European Commussion

More information  Press room - European Commussion

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