Implementing Cultural Provisions: How do they Benefit the Caribbean Cultural Sector?

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    Europe and the Caribbean have enormous cultural and creative assets, a wealth of ideas, artists and creative people. The CARIFORUM-EU EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement between the Forum of the Caribbean Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union) offers the opportunity to increase cultural exchanges and business cooperation.

    Key Purpose of ECDPM Study

    The objective of the ECPDM study is to have a better understanding of how the cultural provisions of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA are being implemented in the European Union and how the CARIFORUM countries can benefit from these provisions.

    The ECPDM study looks foremost at how eight Member States of the EU such as Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom implemented to date the cultural provisions of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA. These are the European countries that, due to their historical and linguistic ties, traditionally have the most cultural cooperation with the CARIFORUM countries.

    Key Findings of ECDPM

    • It is still too early to fully assess how the EU and its Member States have implemented the cultural provisions of the Cariforum-EU EPA

    • Most European Union Member States and CARIFORUM countries have still not ratified the EPA. The EPA is being provisionally applied since December 2008, but as long as EU Member States have not ratified the EPA, their ministries are less inclined to take any specific measures to implement the cultural provisions of the EPA.

    • No specific funds have been set up at EU or national level to support the implementation of the cultural provisions of the EPA.

    • The four joint institutions established by the EPA are still not fully set up or operational.

    • There is a lack of awareness on the side of the European cultural sector of the potential opportunities to cooperate with the CARIFORUM cultural sector.

    Read Discussion Paper 118

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