Thematic programes and instruments
The EU and its Member States have a clear mandate to support culture in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) under Article 27 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, which recognizes culture as a fully-fledged sector of cooperation.112 This creates a comprehensive framework for cultural cooperation with 79 ACP countries. Cooperation is supported through the European Development Fund and may evolve on national, regional and intra-regional level. For the period 2008-2013, the EU is implementing the 10th EDF (€ 22 682 million). At bilateral level, cultural cooperation projects or activities are embedded in the National Indicative Programmes (NIPs). This has been the case in Benin, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal. Most of the projects qualify for small allocations, but in some cases significant funding is envisaged for the culture sector, for instance in Ethiopia (€ 10 million) or Mali (€ 10 million). Alternatively, other partner countries integrate culture into transversal programmes such as local development, support to non-state actors and to small and medium-sized enterprises, microcredit, vocational training and good governance. Countries such as the Dominican Republic, Mozambique and Cameroon propose to follow this strategy and include cultural windows in larger programmes integrating several sectors.
The EU and its Member States have a clear mandate to support culture in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) under Article 27 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, which recognizes
culture as a fully-fledged sector of cooperation. This creates a comprehensive framework for cultural cooperation with 79 ACP countries. Cooperation is supported through the European Development Fund and may evolve on national, regional and intra-regional level. For the period 2008-2013, the EU is implementing the 10th EDF (€ 22 682 million). At bilateral level, cultural cooperation projects or activities are embedded in the National Indicative Programmes (NIPs).
Support is also provided for cultural cooperation at intra-ACP level in the spirit of article 14 of the Convention. The aim of the ACP-EU Support Programme to ACP cultural sectors114 (ACP Cultures+,
€ 30 million, 2011-2015) is to reinforce the creation and production of cultural goods and services in ACP countries at intraregional level, in particular promote South-South cooperation, improve access to local, regional, European and international markets and build capacity of culture professionals, in all areas of the cultural and creative industries.
Support is also provided for cultural cooperation at intra-ACP level in the spirit of article 14 of the Convention. The aim of the ACP-EU Support Programme to ACP cultural sectors114 (ACP Cultures+, € 30 million, 2011-2015) is to reinforce the creation and production of cultural goods and services in ACP countries at intraregional level, in particular promote South-South cooperation, improve access to local, regional, European and international markets and build capacity of culture professionals, in all areas of the cultural and creative industries.