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19 November 2025

7 years of culture Solutions’ analyses echoed in the Culture Compass

The Culture Compass for Europe, released last week by the European Commission, is a significant and welcomed milestone for EU international cultural relations. Over recent years, culture Solutions has analysed the growing importance of ICR for the EU’s external partnerships, as well as the need to address internal and external cultural challenges in a coordinated manner. Seeing these core arguments now embedded in the Culture Compass represents both a success and a meaningful step forward. In this article you will find the 10 key strategic directions mentioned in the Compass that reflect research produced by culture Solutions.

16 November 2025

Culture in the next MFF: What space for external cultural action in the next Global Europe financial instrument?

Building on the high-level roundtable “Culture in the Next EU Budget”, organised by the European Parliament, this second article highlights areas of external cultural action where the EU could benefit from a stronger and more coordinated presence.

9 November 2025

Culture in the next MFF: Internal and external cultural policies both at threat?

On 23 September 2025, the high-level roundtable “Culture in the Next EU Budget”, organised by the European Parliament as part of its long-term budget campaign “Invest in what matters.” In this first blog blog of the series, we analyse the prospects for the internal and external cultural policies in the 2028-2035 MFF.

Forum on the Future of the Mediterranean

7 April 2025

Forum on the Future of the Mediterranean – youth and women for intercultural dialogue, education and employment

Between 2 and 4 of April, the Forum on the Future of the Mediterranean took place in Granada, within the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM). Elise Cuny represented culture Solutions at the session “Youth employment and gender equality in the Mediterranean region”. Find here her intervention.

1 April 2025

Changemakers – EU commited to defending democracy and culture worldwide

Elise Cuny represented culture Solutions at the inauguration of the art exhibition “Changemakers – from committed art to democratic artivism” in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Find here her interventions calling for support to women-led cultural heritage initiatives, as well as for bridging culture, democracy, skills and youth employment.

19 December 2024

cS internal dialogue #1: Democracy, elections and international cultural relations after 2024

This blog post reflects a collective discussion among culture Solutions’ members on the topics of democracy, elections, and International Cultural Relations (ICR) in 2024, and examines how current political trends in the EU and the global geopolitical context are impacting culture and whether they can compromise its potential for promoting dialogue, understanding and democracy.

11 November 2024

What next for EU International Cultural Relations: Questions for the Commissioners-designate for Culture, International Partnerships and Foreign Affairs

This post poses key questions to the three Commissioners-designate directly related to International Cultural Relations: Glenn Micallef, Jozef Síkela and Kaja Kallas, as well as to other EU services, with a view of recognising the central role of culture in the European Union’s external relations.

22 July 2023

EU-LAC cultural diplomacy: from natural partners to partners of choice, via Madrid

After the EU-CELAC Summit in July 2023, this blog post focuses on the political context and the cultural cooperation at the official level. It examines the New Agenda for EU-LAC relations and the role of Spain, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU.

23 March 2023

Weapons and renewable energy for peace and climate: A European Culture Facility

A year into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this blog post argues that the EU and its Member States urgently need to adjust their external cultural action to recent geopolitical paradigm shifts. It is now time to create a European Culture Facility to live up to climate, security and cultural challenges and avoid risks of international audiences’ indifference.

24 December 2022

Contribuer et compter : Les recommandations de culture Solutions reflétées dans la résolution parlementaire du 14 décembre 2022

Cet article examine la résolution du Parlement européen sur la mise en œuvre du nouvel agenda de la culture (2023-2026) et la stratégie de l’UE pour les relations culturelles internationales, et relie ses principales recommandations aux contributions passées de culture Solutions.

22 December 2022

Making the difference: culture Solutions’ recommendations reflected in the 14 December 2022 European Parliament’s Resolution

This blog post looks at the European Parliament’s December 2022 Resolution on the implementation of the New Agenda for Culture (2023-2026) and the EU strategy for international cultural relations, and connects its main recommendations to culture Solutions’ past contributions.

19 July 2022

1 billion for EU international cultural relations by 2027

Find here the speech given by Damien Helly at the European Parliament’s public hearing on EU international cultural relations. It summarises culture Solutions’ analyses on the implementation of the EU cultural relations policy framework and suggests a set of priorities for the Council Work Plan on Culture 2022-2025.

17 July 2022

Cadre numérique européen: nouveaux caps culturels à l’international

This blog post in French is prepared by Damien Helly following his participation in the 2021/22 Cycle des Hautes Etudes de la Culture (CHEC) of the French Ministry of Culture. This piece looks back at the achievements of the 2022 French Presidency of the EU in the field of digital regulation, and at its implications for EU international cultural relations and foreign policy.

24 February 2022

Act fast: War in Ukraine and EU international cultural relations

In the wake of attacks against Ukraine, this crisis-response blog post by Damien Helly looks at the implications of the war in Ukraine for EU international cultural relations. It is sharing ideas on how best the EU and Europeans could take short and long term action to be in line with existing policy commitments and strategies.

18 February 2022

EU-China cultural diplomacy: room for improvement in troubled times?

Marking the closing of the Beijing Winter Olympics and looking forward to the EU-China summit, in this blog post Ina Kokinova compares the approaches of the global actors and gives suggestions for building mutually beneficial their cultural relations.

31 January 2022

EU action for culture in Africa Caribbean and Pacific: main trends

Upon the completion of the 2021 ACP-EU Culture programme international webinar, in this blog post our collaborators share the trends and opportunities they identified while facilitating the event.

27 January 2022

#FrenchPresidency – Balancing Paris Cultural Geopolitics and EU international cultural relations

Until June 2022 France will lead the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. The external cultural agenda of #EU2022FR is a balancing act between its New Roadmap to influence and revisited EU international cultural relations. Read our analysis of the ins-and-outs of the French presidency’s cultural ambitions.

15 June 2021

Restoring livelihoods through culture in Yemen: lessons learnt

After successfully facilitating the virtual conference “Restoring Livelihoods Through Culture in Yemen”, in this article Nicole McNeilly and Bart Hesseling look into the key themes and future developments for the UNESCO-EU project.

8 May 2021

New European Bauhaus: interculturally global

The New European Bauhaus is an environmental, economic and cultural project, aiming to combine design, sustainability, accessibility, affordability and investment. Gabrielle Bernoville and Damien Helly share some tips with EU decision-makers to reflect through the project’s design phase in this article.

20 March 2021

European Spaces of Culture: A blueprint for a Cultural Team Europe

In this blog entry, Gabrielle Bernoville explores the potential of the EUNIC-led project “European Spaces of Culture” for EU International Cultural Relations. Taking stock of the second EUNIC call for ideas, it focuses on the six selected pilot spaces and sketches ways to scale up these models into a Cultural Team Europe approach.

8 February 2021

Team Europe’s future heritage? Protecting shared memories in conflict

In November 2020, culture Solutions facilitated the EEAS conference on “The role of the European Union on the Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Heritage in conflict and crisis”. This blog summarises the main take-aways and recommends the launch of specific European communities of practice.

21 December 2020

EU External Cultural Action: decolonising the praxis?

In this blog post Celia Zayas and Alexandra Gil question the link between colonialism and the EU integration process, as well as how EU external cultural action can be the perfect tool for mutual learning, collaboration and co-creation in a decolonizing process.

16 December 2020

Team Europe Worldwide: 10 Tips for Regional & Global Cultural Programming (II)

Following our 5 tips on country-based programming, we now offer you a list of 10 priorities for regional and global cultural programming. Check out the blog by Damien Helly.

14 December 2020

Team Europe Worldwide & Programming – 5 Tips to Blow the EU Cultural Breeze (I)

After the adoption of the new multiannual budget, EU Delegations are busy with the programming of external action and international cooperation funds for the next seven years. For tips on country-based cultural programming see the blog by Damien Helly.

22 September 2020

Erasmus+ and EU international cultural relations

The international dimension of the EU’s Higher Education Erasmus+ programme contributes to EU international cultural relations. While the next EU budget (2021-2027) is being negotiated this post looks at Erasmus+’ impact and its role in the EU’s public and cultural diplomacy efforts. See the blog by Constance Bobotsi.

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