Activities of Romeo FRANZ related to 2022/2047(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Implementation of the New European Agenda for Culture and the EU Strategy for International Cultural Relations (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the implementation of the New European Agenda for Culture and the EU Strategy for International Cultural Relations
Amendments (63)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 a (new)
Citation 28 a (new)
— having regard to the report by the OMC Working Group of Member States’ Experts of 4 May 2017 entitled "How culture and the arts can promote intercultural dialogue in the context of the migratory and refugee crisis",
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 b (new)
Citation 28 b (new)
— having regard to the report by the OMC Working Group of Member States’ Experts of 7 June 2021 entitled “Towards gender equality in the cultural and creative sectors”,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the 2018 Commission communication on a new European agenda for culture (COM(2018)0267) and the 2016 Joint Communication towards an EU strategy for international cultural relations (JOIN(2016)0029) have played a decisive role in shaping the EU’s and Member States’ cultural policies, both in their national and international dimension;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) fall short in explicitly addressing culture, despite culture being a global public good and both a cross-cutting dimension of sustainable development and a goal in itself, as made clear by global campaigns such as #Culture2030Goal;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage promoted culture and cultural heritage; as "a shared source of remembrance, understanding, identity, dialogue, cohesion and creativity for Europe"; whereas the general objectives of the Year were to “encourage and support the efforts of the Union, the Member States and regional and local authorities, in cooperation with the cultural heritage sector and broader civil society, to protect, safeguard, reuse, enhance, valorise and promote Europe's cultural heritage" 1a; _________________ 1a OJ L 131, 20.5.2017, p. 1
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic on the European CCSI has been dramatic but has been uneven across sectors; whereas site-based activities have been heavily affected by lockdowns, travel restrictions and other necessary sanitary measures, while sectors with a stronger digital capacity were in a better position to face the crisis;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas public support measures contributed to mitigating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, varying widely between Member States, but did not always take into account the specific nature of employment schemes in the CCSI; whereas different legislative systems deepened the already existing inequalities between CCSI across the EU, hindering cultural diversity and cultural collaboration across Member States;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas in its Resolution on the cultural recovery of Europe, the Parliament called for an investment of 2% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility in the CCSI and reiterated the importance of appropriate investments in the EU cultural agenda; whereas only 16 Member States have included culture in their National Recovery and Resilience Plans and in most cases the investments and reforms are insufficient; whereas the 2% target has been met on average at the EU level, but the majority of Member States stays well under this figure;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas Parliament, in its resolutions of 7 June 2007 and of 20 October 2021, called for strengthening the working conditions in Europe’s CCSI and for the establishment of a European Status of the Artist;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas cultural participation can be intended both as passive partaking and as active creation, regardless of the level - amateur or professional - to which the activity is undertaken; whereas both active and passive cultural participation have numerous economic, social and health benefits;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the arts and artistic disciplines are important components of education; and enablers of both formal, informal and non-formal education; whereas learning through and about arts and artistic disciplines contributes to the development of learners’ educational and social skills and competences, as well as developing creative thinking and transversal and transferrable skills;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas artistic research should be brought to a peer dialogue with other research disciplines;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas cultural rights shift from access to culture and audience development, which remain important to meaningful participation in culture and governance of the commons, with special regard to enhancing diversity, equality, inclusion, and democratisation of the shared public spaces, fostering dialogue with underrepresented communities, including women, youth, children, minorities, indigenous peoples, people of colour and people with lived migration experiences, persons with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ communities both in urban and non-urban areas;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the 2018 Commission communication on a New European Agenda for Culture highlighted the importance of culture and the arts in the integration of refugees and other migrants;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is deeply concerned that the Creative Europe programme is underfinanced, despite its budget increase in the current MFF, with the necessary frontloading of the budget to the years 2021 and 2022 causing dramatic funding shortages in the following years, potentially bringing further harm to the cultural and creative sectors that have only slowly started recovering, and thus having a long-lasting negative impact on our European cultural ecosystem and its role in international cultural relations;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Insists that freedom of artistic expression must remain guaranteed for all creators; invites the Commission to integrate freedom of artistic expression as self-standing indicator of the respect of the rule of law in its annual reports; invites the Commission and the EEAS to explore concrete paths to uphold the freedom of artistic expression of artists at risk, especially as consequences of wars and geopolitical instability;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Invites the Commission to adequately follow-up on the Porto Santo Charter on cultural democracy, adopted under the Portuguese Presidency in 2021;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Reaffirms its strong commitment to gender equality and endorses gender mainstreaming as one of its official policy approaches to ensure it, reiterates the role that culture can play in the promotion of gender equality, and calls on the Commission to go beyond its proposal to introduce selection criteria that rewards projects guaranteeing gender equality in their organisation, to introducing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for obtaining sufficient data on gender equality and gender mainstreaming in the beneficiaries of the different European programmes, and the possible improvement measures.
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. In line with the Parliament resolution on the European Year of Cultural Heritage6a, asks the Commission and the Member States to review and update the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage in order to ensure the protection of cultural heritage in post-pandemic Europe; stresses that it is important to continue building on this legacy with the appropriate resources; _________________ 6a OJ C 456, 10.11.2021, p. 24–33
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Invites the Member States to fully apply the principle enshrined in Art. 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and recognise the right to cultural, artistic and scientific life and related cultural rights as human rights for all; calls on the Member States to take all appropriate measures to eliminate any obstacle to the enjoyment of such rights, including but not limited to obstacles linked to socioeconomic characteristics, income, and physical accessibility, and to ensure the necessary conditions for everyone to engage freely in cultural activities;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Encourages the Member States to promote and invest in citizens’both active and passive participation of people in cultural and artistic activities, not only via communication and outreach campaigns, but also and predominantly via coherent, comprehensive policy measures and incentives, with a particular focus on sub- urban, rural and peripheral areas and marginalised socio-economic communities and disadvantaged and vulnerable groups; invites the Member States to integrate cultural participation objectives in policy-making beyond cultural policy;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that data collection should be considered as a key cross-cutting priorities in the new Council Work Plan for Culture; in this regard regrets that the latest available data collected by Eurostat on cultural participation date back to 2015; given the drastic change that CCSI have undergone since then, notably due to theCOVID-19 pandemic as well as innovative technological developments, invites the Commission to set up a Eurostat survey on cultural participation and trends in the EU, collecting and analysing statistical data at different territorial scales (national, regional, etc.), with special attention to participation in sub-urban, rural and peripheral areas and within marginalised socio-economic communities and disadvantaged and vulnerable groups;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights the social and societal importance of the international mobility of cultural creators such as authors, performers and artists; calls upon the Commission and the Member States to strengthen their role in the EU’s international relations; reiterates in this context its repeated calls urging the Commission to establish a European Status of the Artist, ensuring fair contractual situations and working conditions for everyone working in the cultural and creative sectors, and increasing opportunities for international mobility;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines the importance of cultural programmes in integrating refugees and migrants into European societies, and encourages the European Commission and the Member States to continue to promote the actions stated in the European Commission’s New Agenda for Culture- Integrating refugees and other migrants;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines the fundamental importance of culture for the development of the individual’s identityies and overall well-being as well as in the education of children and young people; and develops their intercultural competences that contribute to combatting hate and racism and building peaceful societies;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Expresses concern about the common narrowing of school curricula, which tend to relegate arts and artistic disciplines in a more marginal position compared to other subjects; urges Member States to allocate the appropriate financial and human resources and incentives to arts and artistic disciplines as curricular as well as extra-curricular activities; urges the Commission to move beyond a “STEM approach” and fully adopt a “STEAM approach” (Sciences, Technologies, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) instead;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. In parallel with the work on the professionalisation of the CCSI, calls for strategies to be developed for the many amateur artists in Europe;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls the importance of mutual recognition of artistic competences and creative skills and qualifications to facilitate cross-border mobility of workers in the CCSI, including artists and cultural workers who are third country nationals;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls the importance of mutual recognition and cross-border portability of artistic competences and creative skills and qualifications to facilitate cross-border mobility of workers in the CCSI;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the establishment of the Culture Moves Europe mobility scheme for professionals in the CCSI under Creative Europe; regrets, however, that administrative and financial obstacles to mobility still remain; calls for the promotion of cross-border approaches to culture and the search for European partners for the creation of major European cultural co-productions and residencies programmes, with the objective of fostering the mobility of artists and creators by reinforcing cooperation of all involved actors and exchanges of best practices, including with non-EU countries;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to strengthen their efforts to provide quality information on mobility and exchange programmes for artists and other cultural professionals and practitioners, as well as material support to tackle all kinds of obstacles to mobility in the CCSI, including administrative, financial and linguistic obstacles, as well as obstacles linked to disability;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that the professionalworkers in the CCSI, having been seriously hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, must benefit from a genuine European recovery, particularly given the fact that this atypical sector is composed mostly of individuals as well as micro and small sized organisations and companies, often depending on irregular income and lacking long-term financial predictability;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that the support from the Recovery and Resilience Facility should be used in particular to improve the working conditions of professionals in the CCSI; Welcomes the Commission’s support to Member States in ensuring fair remuneration and improving socio- economic conditions for artists and creators through general and sector- specific dialogues; underlines that, besides measures supporting the economic recovery of the CCSI, the support from the Recovery and Resilience Facility should be used in particular to improve the working conditions, training, up- and reskilling of professionals in the CCSI in order to keep up with the ongoing structural changes in these sectors;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reminds the Commission of Parliament’s repeated calls for a European Status of the Artist to be proposed and set out a common framework for working conditions and minimum standards common to all EU countries, in full respect of the responsibilities of the Member States and the EU with regards to labour market and cultural policy, in order to improve the socio-economic conditions of culture professionals in all Member States; looks forward to the publication of the OMC report, expected by mid-2023; calls for input from relevant CSOs, including social partners on matters related to social protection, to be taken in due account with a view to ensure appropriate follow-up on this matter;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes with regret that the procedures to apply for EU funding are often burdensome; calls on the Commission to further simplify these procedures, including those for the Creative Europe programme, are often still too burdensome and create unnecessarily obstacles for all potential beneficiaries, especially micro and small sized organisations in the CCSI, whose administrative capacities are limited, with regards to organisations both in Europe and in third countries; therefore calls on the Commission to further simplify these procedures to allow a wider pool and variety of organisations to have access to EU funding;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Asks the Commission to respect the principle of multilingualism when adapting these procedures in order to allow a fair chance to organisations and individuals who do not have the capacity or means to ensure translation into English;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the recent setting-up of ‘cascade funding’; invites the Commission to further develop such schemes; as a means to better reach all beneficiaries, especially individuals and small- and medium-sized organisations; invites the Commission to further develop such schemes in all programmes of relevance to the CCSI; advises the Commission to consider, when setting up such schemes involving intermediary organisations, the issues of potential conflict of interest between the intermediary and the final recipients, the overhead costs for intermediaries in the logistics and administration of the grants, the criteria for selection and final evaluations of the grants;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure that EU and national cultural policies and initiatives are backed by sufficient funding and capacities, in order to move beyond a crisis-management approach and adopt instead a long-term strategy for cultural policies;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Highlights the success of the European Capitals of Culture initiative with respect to the development of cities and regions across the EU and associated countries; welcomes the Commission’s Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor, developed by the Joint Research Centre, which contributes to objectively assessing the cultural and natural assets of regions and cities, based on the link between culture and tourism; encourages the Commission to follow up on the Cultural and Creative Spaces and Cities policy project, to promote cultural participation and social and urban regeneration;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Advises the Commission and the Member States to build on the recommendations of the OMC report on Sustainable Cultural Tourism to ensure the correct balance is achieved between safeguarding and conserving cultural heritage on the one hand and enhancing visitor access and facilities on the other; at the same time, urges the Member States to remain vigilant on the risks of mass tourism for cultural heritage as well as natural ecosystems;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Acknowledges the important contribution of the New European Bauhaus initiative, which aims to deliver the EU’s Green New Deal targets by bridging the worlds of science, technology, art and culture, mainstreaming environmental sustainability throughout all EU policies;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Highlights the vast contribution that the arts and culture make to raising awareness of environmental, climate and sustainability issues, and inspiring positive behavioural change; particularly, recalls that traditional knowledge, which constitutes part of cultural heritage, is key to enhancing climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Emphasises that the economic dimension of activities should always put the local communities’ benefits and interests at the centre, especially those of local artists and cultural workers, and uphold respect for nature and the environment;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Encourages the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Member States to design their cultural programmes in line with the principles of environmental sustainability and the fight against the climate crisis; , and assess the environmental impact of all EU-funded projects throughout their life cycle; recommends stakeholders and beneficiaries of EU funding to seek the most environmentally-friendly methods and approaches in the design, planning and implementation of their projects;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Welcomes the OMC report on “Strengthening Cultural Heritage Resilience for Climate Change – Where the European Green Deal meets Cultural Heritage” and encourages the Commission and Member States to actively follow up on the recommendations and avail of the good practice examples;
Amendment 262 #
23b. Points out that special attention should be given to sustainability issues during the restoration of cultural heritage and traditional buildings; emphasises the need for further exchanges of best practices between Member States as well as with third countries on innovative measures to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings, while preserving their architectural interest or historic character;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Points out the difference in terms of decision-making processes, programme design and implementation, and overall philosophy between ‘cultural relations’ and ‘cultural diplomacy’; underlines that both approaches can coexist and complement each other but that each ultimately serves a different purpose;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Points out the difference in terms of decision-making processes, programme design and implementation, and overall philosophy between ‘“cultural relations’” and ‘“cultural diplomacy’”; underlines that boteach approaches can coexist and complement each other serves a different purpose;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. UWelcomes the recommendations published by the Voices for Culture SD on ICR and invites the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to take these into due account when developing their ICR strategies; particularly, urges the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to apply a bottom- up, human rights, and a people-to-people approach when building their cultural relations with third countries outside the EU; , and to design and implement their ICR strategy and project programming taking into account the needs and demands of their partner countries and local communities, while treating them as equal partners; stresses that such strategies should answer to the needs and specific political and socio-economic situation of each partner country or region, rather than being the product of a ‘one size fits all’ approach;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Warns the Commission, the EEAS, the EU Delegations in third countries, the Member States and all the actors in the CCSI of the risk of EU cultural activities, particularly in the field of ICR, of being perceived as too Eurocentric;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. Praises the work done by the Member States’ cultural institutes and organisations and by the EUNIC Clusters in third countries; encourages further cooperation between them and the development of their network with local CSOs, with a particular attention to be given to smaller Member States and Member States with limited or no cultural visibility abroad, and to their cultural representation needs;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the fact that several Commission and EEAS units are engaging in cross-cutting work on ICR; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to improve the coordination mechanisms between the entities concerned, including through the creation of more coherent and streamlined working methods, in order to maximise efficiency, avoid overlapping actions and ensure institutional memory;
Amendment 301 #
31a. Reiterates the importance of inter- cultural exchanges of students, researchers and CCSI actors for establishing lasting academic and cultural ties, which simultaneously promote the EU in partner countries, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to ease the Schengen visa processes for those groups;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Encourages the Member States and the EEAS to integrate coaching on cultural policies, ICR and cultural diplomacy in the training of all their diplomatic staff, in order to raise awareness amongst diplomats of ICR as a key, independent field within public diplomacy, and build the appropriate political and policy competences in the field of ICR and cultural diplomacy; looks forward to the results of the newly launched European Diplomatic Academy based on a European Parliament pilot project and to the publication in November of the feasibility study commissioned by the EEAS;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes the initialfirst results of the Preparatory Action European Spaces of Culture; invites the Commission to continue funding itEuropean Spaces of Culture Preparatory Action; underlines the positive outcomes of the innovative collaboration models undertaken by the project partners, based on a call for ideas co-created with local stakeholders in the spirit of equal partnership; invites the Commission to continue funding this highly successful action; encourages cultural actors in the EU and third countries to explore further modalities of collaboration, such as co- creation of joint works of art, to foster mutual understanding;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Insists on the need to step up the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural goods; welcomes the recent Commission consultation in preparation of a new Action Plan to provide a clear, comprehensive and effective framework to the EU contribution to fight illicit trafficking of cultural goods, aiming at disrupting criminal activities and protecting cultural heritage in the internal market, as part of the EU strategy on organised crime;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Welcomes the efforts undertaken by certain Member States to return cultural works and artefacts to their places of origin as part of their external policy strategy and in order to foster mutual understanding of one another’s cultural heritage and to support the development of autonomous cultural policies in third countries; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to support those Member States in their negotiating processes with third countries outside the EUin a holistic approach;
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Recalls that, within the SDGs, promoting and safeguarding culture is both an end in itself and, notably as enshrined in targets 4.7, 8.9 and 11.4, as well as a key contributor to the implementation of the UN 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development; highlights the transversal nature of culture and cultural projects, which enables them to contribute positively to the achievement of all SDGs; invites the Commission, EU Delegations to third countries and the Member States to explore further the interlinkages between culture and cultural policies and the achievement of all SDGs;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Warns the Commission, the EEAS, the EU Delegations in third countries and the member states that the EU-funded restoration of war-torn cultural heritage sites in third countries should not benefit war sides that are accused of human rights violations, legitimise authoritarian regimes, nor normalise relations with them;