EUROPEAN ART AND CULTURE BETWEEN FREE TRADE AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY. A DELICATE DIALOGUE?

 

 

Report of the Circle Round Table 2006 organised by Cupore in Helsinki 15-16 December 2006 is now online in PDF -format. The report was prepared on behalf of Cupore by Ilkka Heiskanen (Finnekvit), Danielle Cliche (Ericarts) and Ritva Mitchell (Cupore).

 

Download report (PDF)

 

CIRCLE Round Table 2006 focused on the status of the arts and culture in the evolving global economy. It is increasingly important to consider cultural diversity together with the development of international trade regime and trade rules. Also national cultural policies need to take into account these external forces.

 

Cultural issues become relevant in a range of contexts of international trade law including e.g. WTO agreements: General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The main objectives of GATS and GATT agreements are to promote liberalisation of trade in goods and services and equity between parties. TRIPS requires member states to provide strong protection for intellectual property rights.

 

UNESCO’s new Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expression recognises the need to take measures to protect the diversity of cultural expressions. Article 6 the Convention takes a clear stand that the parties (the states and their transnational organisation, e.g. the EU) can, in its cultural policies, adopt measure "…aimed at protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expression within its territory". Article 7 legitimises the promotion of cultural expression and Article 8 makes an allowance for special protection which a party to the Convention can resort to in the case "…cultural expressions on its territory are at risk of extinction, under serious threat or otherwise in the need of urgent safeguarding".

 

The Convention as such does not solve the issues of the position of the arts and culture in the trade liberalisation negotiations. It has also been pointed out that its Article 20 contains a clause that "...nothing in this convention shall be interpreted as modifying rights and obligations of the parties under any other treaties". Irrespective what this clause may mean, there is, due to th collapse of the trade negotiations at Cancun, a standstill, which allows for looking a balance between "free traders" and "protectionists". The CIRCLE Round Table brought together experts and practitioners of international cultural co-operation and world trade to investigate and assess how this balance could be achieved.

 

PROGRAMME (PDF)

BACKGROUND MATERIALS

ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE READER (PDF)

PICTURES OF THE SEMINAR

CONFERENCE REPORT (PDF)

 

 

More information:

Ritva Mitchell

Foundation for Cultural Policy Research

Tallberginkatu 1 C 137

FIN-00180 Helsinki

ritva.mitchell[at]cupore.fi

Tel. +358 (0)9 7746 0410

Fax. +358 (0)9 7746 0437

 

 

 

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