New composition of the CULT Committee
With the 720 new members of the European Parliament in place, the first weeks after the EU elections were used, among other things, to shape the political factions and fill the seats in the many committees, including the CULT committee, which is responsible for all cultural aspects of the Union, including cultural heritage, cultural and linguistic diversity and artistic creation.
Also under the committee’s mandate is the EU’s education policy, which includes the European area of higher education and the promotion of the system of European schools in addition to lifelong learning. The committee also has a role in the development of policies in the key areas of audiovisual media, information and media, youth and sport.
European Parliament’s committees elected their new Chair and Vice-Chairs
On Tuesday, 23 July, the European Parliament committees elected their Chairs and Vice-Chairs for a two-and-a-half year term. Nela Riehl (Greens/EFA, Germany) has been elected as the new Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT). With roots in Ghana, Nela Riehl grew up in Hamburg, Germany. She is a teacher and member of the pan-European party VOLT.
AEC warmly congratulates all Chairs and Vice-Chairs on their election and looks forward to working with them on advancing important issues in the music and cultural sectors.
Important cultural strategies and plans at the EU level
It is not the case that the EU’s cultural policy needs to be rewritten from scratch. The new Parliament takes over existing policies, which must then be renewed during the coming election period.
What will the AEC do?
As the leading voice for higher music education in Europe AEC will continue to advocate for the sector and improve access to Music Education at all levels.
We will develop and deepen the contacts with the European Commission, the CULT Committee and its new members, and with our partner networks, we will propose and support new initiatives to strengthen the position of the Culture and Creative Sector focusing on important issues such as improving cross-sectoral cooperation capacities, promoting sustainability, ensuring safe spaces for artistic creation and fair working conditions for musicians and music teachers.
In the renewed Cultural Deal for Europe statement, looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, the position paper calls on the European Union, EU Member States, and wider Europe to:
- Effectively use the National Recovery and Resilience Plans for culture
- Make a European Cultural Deal for Ukraine part of the Cultural Deal for Europe
- Develop a new, ambitious and genuine EU cultural policy, together with civil society
- Find innovative ways of working together with the European philanthropic sector to address emergencies faced by cultural sectors, now and in the future
- Establish common and ambitious standards for working conditions for artists and cultural workers across Europe
- Speed up efforts to realise the potential of culture for sustainable development and social justice, and to fully incorporate culture in the European Green Deal
- Place culture in the heart of discussions on the future of our continent and in the 2024 European Parliament elections
