Dear Commissioner Micallef,
We would like to extend our sincere congratulations on your appointment as European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.
We are writing as 60 organisations from across the music sector to share with you our most important issues for the music sector in the years to come. Our core values are based on the Five Music Rights proclaimed by the International Music Council (IMC) which highlight the experience of music and music-making as a vital part of the everyday life of all people.
The European music sector enriches the lives of Europeans through its diverse musical landscape. “Music is one of the pillars of European culture. It has an intrinsic value, enriching and inspiring those who engage in it. Music is an art form and, as such, has contributed and continues to contribute immensely to Europe’s legacy, building a rich heritage that preserves and celebrates the diversity of our continent’s cultural identities. Music can also serve as a tool that promotes
individual development and brings change to many levels of society: it is a formidable unifier of people, a natural vehicle for social engagement and inclusion and a powerful agent for democratic values. Finally, music is involved in a variety of products that contribute to international trade, economic growth and job creation” (European Agenda for Music).
Thus, the European music ecosystem exemplifies the dual nature of cultural expressions as highlighted in the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions as a bearer of meaning and cultural values as well as an economic good.
We also wish to reiterate the importance and value of the UNESCO Recommendation on the status of the artist, which has been an instrument of reference for the music sector since its unanimous adoption by UNESCO Member States in 1980.
In light of the priorities of the incoming European Commission, and given your role as Commissioner with responsibility for the culture portfolio, we would ask you that you embrace music as vital to Europe’s diversity and competitiveness, and to support the music ecosystem, both through policy priorities as well as through funding opportunities.
