Parliamentary questions
15 July 2011 E-006622/2011
Question for written answer
to the Council
Rule 117
Marietje Schaake (ALDE) and Doris Pack (PPE)
Subject: Absence of European Parliament representative at ‘cultural diplomacy’ meeting in Pécs
Senior executives of the EU Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Ministries of Culture meet in Pécs between 22 and 24 June, as the Hungarian Presidency seeks to create a network of national contact points for cultural diplomacy within the EU (http://www.eu2011.hu/news/culture-may-also-play-conciliatory-role). Other speakers invited to the meeting include Jan Truszczyński, head of the Commission’s Directorate General for Education and Culture, Katérina Stenou, Coordinator of the Unesco Inter-sectoral Platform contributing to the dialogue among civilizations and cultures and a culture of peace, and Gerhard Sabathil, Director for Strategy, Coordination and Analysis of the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Does the Hungarian Presidency agree that it would have made sense to include a representative of the European Parliament, in particular in the context of Parliament’s recent own-initiative report on ‘the cultural dimensions of the EU’s external actions’, which was adopted with a large majority? If not, why not?
Will the Council invite a representative of the European Parliament to similar events in the future? If not, why not?
Was Parliament’s report on ‘the cultural dimensions of the EU’s external actions’ discussed at the meeting and will Parliament be informed of the outcome of the meeting? If not, why not?
The Hungarian Presidency’s website states that ‘the Presidency proposes to establish, in cooperation with the Commission, a network of national contact points for cultural diplomacy, and to hold similar meetings on a regular basis in the future’. Does the Presidency agree that such a network already exists, but that what is needed is better cooperation between EU Member States and their national cultural representations? Does the Presidency agree that the establishment of the European External Action Service provides the right momentum to streamline and coordinate the external cultural diplomacy of the EU, which is now fragmented between several departments (trade, development, culture and education, external relations and enlargement)?
Is the Presidency aware of Parliament’s report on ‘the cultural dimensions of the EU’s external actions’ and will the Presidency take the recommendations contained within that report into consideration? If not, why not?
Please find the answer here.
