Italian influences on the cultural policies of the European Union

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to analyse the extent of Italian influence over the cultural policies of the European Union and its engagement with the EU’s cultural programmes. In order to reach these aims, the study explores cultural policies in the EU and their implementation. The literature review includes the legal basis for cultural policies, some examples of EU cultural policies and the benefits of such policies. The literature review identified four main topics which will be used as points of analysis to answer the research questions: cultural diplomacy, cultural heritage, cultural diversity, and cultural and creative sectors. In addition, the analysis put greater emphasis on projects and initiatives that are key components of EU cultural policies or instruments such as Creative Europe. The dissertation concludes that, by participating in cultural projects and initiatives, a Member State (MS) can showcase its unique cultural strengths and heritage while highlighting the importance of preserving and promoting its diverse cultural identities through EU cultural policies. The aim of this research is to give a better understanding of Member States’ participation and possible influence on the cultural policies of the European Union. This dissertation attempts to achieve this by looking at Italy as a case study, due to the importance of its culture both at a domestic level as well as an international one, reflective of a heritage which is also found in other EU member states. The study concludes that Italy did not have any tangible influence on the cultural policies of the EU. On the contrary, it appeared that the EU played a key role in influencing Italian cultural policies on some topics.