Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-04-Speech-4-053"
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".
Mr President, I would first of all like to thank Mrs Zorba for her excellent report. It has come at just the right time to highlight the importance of the phenomenon of European cultural industries not only from an economic point of view – to which reference has been made – but also in terms of the potential they offer for cultural diversity in Europe.
It is unfortunate, but we are not always aware of the economic significance of European cultural industries. I am referring to audiovisual, music and publishing services. A study carried out in 2001 on the employment potential of this sector estimated that 4.8 million people were employed by creative industries in the broadest sense, which accounts for 3.1% of employees in the European Union. The European audiovisual sector alone directly employs more than 1 million people. Therefore, in addition to their contribution to diversity, cultural industries contribute significantly to the economy.
They of course differ from other industries in that they have an obvious social and cultural role. They have to do with creation. They involve producing and selling not products, like other industries, but cultural goods. These goods are the expression of an identity; they are reference points. Therefore, as far as cultural industries are concerned, normal industrial policy cannot play the same role, not being adapted to these industries. We need to look beyond it.
Cultural diversity presupposes a solid and varied industrial fabric that guarantees pluralism in the cultural supply within a global market. This phenomenon alone shows the importance that needs to be attached to this sector of activities that relates to our identities. I would like to mention some key actions to demonstrate to you that Europe is paying attention to this sector, not only within the framework of cultural programmes, but far beyond them.
You are all aware of the MEDIA programme and the work we do for film, but did you know, for example, that in the Culture 2000 programme, the support provided for publishing houses to encourage literary translations has benefited 1 300 translations in the past years? Did you know that a large proportion of the Structural Funds is used to develop the cultural industry? For example, in the Swedish town of Hultsfred, the ERDF cofinanced projects aimed at developing the music industry. Since then, the town has become the rock capital of Sweden! As you can see, European aid can result in genuine, concerted and concentrated development of cultural industries. Indeed, in your report, you call for a communication on the Structural Funds and culture, a communication that will highlight these types of actions.
I would like to point out that since 2002 we have also been developing experimental measures designed to support the music and book industries. For instance, we have the project to increase exports of European music outside our continent. You can therefore see, ladies and gentlemen, that these cultural industries are being supported only by EU programmes and actions. I must add that we will soon have a unique opportunity to strengthen this action when we discuss the extension of the MEDIA and CULTURE programmes and the new generation of programmes. To this end, with Parliament’s help, we will have to envisage very systematic action so that the creativity of this sector can encourage economic and cultural diversity and, thus, our European roots."@en1
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