To highlight the importance and diversity of European culture, European Parliament is holding a conference on “Cultural heritage in Europe: linking past and future”. Political leaders, policy makers, artists from various fields and stakeholders debate the challenges facing the sector. Antonio TAJANI, EP President and Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC open the event.

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

conference

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

preservation of EU's cultural heritage (T)

High Level Conference on Cultural heritage in Europe - linking past and future: extracts from the opening statements

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Creativity calls for financial investment and an investment of time and effort, and without fair remuneration it will whither and die. We can no longer tolerate a situation in which Europe&rsquo;s creativity is exploited by the web giants for their material gain. All too often online platforms broadcast music, films, articles and literature without paying the authors and artists anything at all, and the digital environment is conducive to breaches of intellectual property rights in the fields of design and fashion. The Union must see to it that the digital market functions correctly and guarantee copyright protection.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Let's not forget that the cultural industry - an expression I hate - makes 7.8 million men and women work in Europe. That is why in the next European budget - in the next seven annual budgets - we propose to increase, if I dare say, the striking force of the "Creative Europe" program dedicated to European culture by developing synergies with other programs such as the Horizon Europe program, which will support research and innovation activities in the field of media and culture.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean Michel JARRE, Composer, performer, record producer, Why am I here before you, together with the other artists present in this hemicycle? It is not just to share with you the preoccupations that  are limited to the actors of the culture and heritage sector. No, these preoccupations concern all of you. Because in every European family, in each of your families, there is a child, a brother, a sister, a mother, that dreams of becoming a photographer, graphic artist, writer, film-maker, musician, and that will miss out on his dreams if we cannot determine a fair economical model for the 21st century and the new ways of consuming culture in the world, through internet and new media.

SOUNDBITE (English), Daniel BARENBOIM , Pianist and conductor , The rise of nationalism is in large part a result of people's justified, sometimes justified I would say, discontent with globalisation. Globalisation has a homogenising effect on culture, which threatens to annihilate on of our greatest strengths, our wonderful cultural diversity. But nationalism is not the answer to this threat. Patriotism is the pride in one's country, nationalism often excludes the other. If you are secure of your own values and culture, you can comfortably engage with others and appreciate their culture too.This is what universalism is all about.