Adoption of conclusions on the role of culture in external relations

Background:

The set of conclusions was adopted during a meeting of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council on 23 May 2017.

The Joint Communication was released on 8 June 2016. It is in line with one of the priorities outlined by the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker in his 2014 Political Guidelines - to make the European Union a stronger global actor. The Commission planned to connect this Strategy with the EU's Global Strategy and with the organisation of a European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018.

Culture in EU external relations is one of the three pillars of the European Agenda for Culture (2007). Developing a strategic approach in this field has been a priority of the Council's Work Plans for Culture since 2011.

To help the EU implement the strategy and create synergies among all EU stakeholders (EU delegations, national cultural institutes and foundations, private and public enterprises, civil society), a Cultural Diplomacy Platform was set up in February 2016, focusing on strategic countries.

The Council of the European Union adopted on 23 May 2017 a set of conclusions on the role of culture in the European Union's external relations.

These considerations followed the adoption of a Joint Communication by the European Commission and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy in June 2016 setting up a strategy for international cultural relations.