1.
EU Cultural Diplomacy in the MENA:
fostering regional and inter-regional
cooperation
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
Riccardo Trobbiani
United Nations University Institute on Comparative
Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS)
Rabat, 21 February 2018

2.
Cultural Diplomacy
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
Traditionally: “soft power tool through which states and/or
international organisations pursue foreign policy objectives.”
Increasingly: “a policy area on its own right, which promotes
quality of life, the arts, joint capacity building, economic growth
and social cohesion by engaging citizens, both as producers and
consumers of cultural activities.”
Triandafyllidou and Szűcs, 2017

3.
EU Cultural Diplomacy in the MENA
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
1 Willingness
- Policy and law with a focus on regionalism and inter-regionalism
- Committed leaders
2 Capacity
- Engaged and skilled professionals
- Financial resources
- Institutions and agencies
3 Acceptance
- Committed citizenry
- Buy-in from regional leaders
- Cooperation with IOs, ROs, and other actors (adapted from Kingah et al, 2016)

4.
Willingness: Cultural Diplomacy & the EU
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
• “Towards an EU strategy for international
cultural relations” (8 June 2016)
• EEAS Joint Communication to the European Parliament and
the Council
• Terminology: “International cultural relations” (ICR) preferred
to “Cultural diplomacy”
• EU “cultural superpower”
• Strong focus on MENA
• FP goals stay

5.
3 streams
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- Intercultural dialogue
- Culture and creative sectors for development
- Cooperation in cultural heritage

6.
2 tracks
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- Transversal inclusion of culture in all external and development
policies
- support for specific cultural ac6ons and events
(EC 2007)

7.
Culture as a Foreign Policy tool
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- Dual nature of culture (UNESCO 2005). Besides its intrinsic value:
Security and Political objectives:
Intercultural dialogue à peaceful relations/security community
(Deutsch et al. 1957).
Culture and creative sectors for development à development-
security nexus, response to youth
Cooperation in cultural heritage à shared Mediterranean space

8.
Culture and Regional Cooperation
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
Common norms/principles and practices
Deradicalisation, conflict prevention.
Convergence of civilisations.
(Adler and Crawford, 2002)

9.
Regional Approach
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2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
Barcelona Process: Mediterranean as a ‘common area of
peace, stability and prosperity‘. UfM.
Lack of a clearly defined strategy/concept at the EU level but:
- EU external cultural action beyond mere showcasing
- Capacity building, exchanges and intercultural dialogue
- Regional and bilateral instruments
- Regional instruments fostering N-S and S-S cooperation
- “Variable geometry”

10.
Euro-Med Cultural Relations
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- Regional: UfM third chapter
- Region to region: AMU/5+5, EU-GCC, EU-LAS
- Process political EC. Navracsics and Mogherini
- UfM: Ministers, Tunis Declaration and EuroMed Forum

11.
2020
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croa6a
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
Hungary
France
Italy
Malta
Portugal
Spain
Ireland
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
United
Kingdom
Algeria Mauritania
Libya (UfM Obs)
Morocco
Tunisia
Egypt
Jordan
Lebanon
Pales6ne
Syria
EUROPEAN UNION
ENP SOUTH
5+5 DIALOGUE
ARAB
MAGHREB
UNION
UNION FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN - ALF
Albania
Bosnia
and Herzegovina
Monaco
Montenegro
Turkey
Comoros
Djibou6
Iraq
Somalia
Sudan
Yemen
Israel
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait
ARAB LEAGUE (UfM Obs)
UNESCO
GULF
COOPERATION
COUNCIL
Andorra
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Georgia
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Macedonia
Moldova
Russia
San Marino
Serbia
Switzerland
Ukraine
COE
region-to-region

12.
2 Capacity
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- Training cultural operators and youth/Capacity building, networking
- UfM/ALF (15M 2015-2017)
- EU Programmes e.g.
Euromed Heritage (17M), Euromed Audiovisual (11M), Euromed Youth (5M) - RMSU
Open Neighborhood (18.2 M 2015-2019) (e.g. Media Hub )
Media and Culture (17 M 2014-2017) (Med Culture. Med Media à SR LAS)
Med Film (5.4 M 2015- )

13.
2 Capacity
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- DCI (19.552 M) (Intra Africa Academic Mobility Scheme)
- Erasmus + in HE staff mobility, degree mobility, CB
- SALTO Youth Med
- ENI Cross Border Cooperation (209 M 2014-2020)
- Civil Society Facility CS – Regional Dialogue Hub (3M
Sec). Young Mediterranean Voices (3.29 M)
- TAIEX Twinning
- Partnership Instrument (954.8 M) High Income Countries
- Opening of Creative Europe (1.460 M 2014-2020)
- EIDHR (132 M 2017)
- Bilateral

14.
2 Capacity
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- Institutions and bodies supporting EU Cultural action:
- Cultural Diplomacy Platform
- UfM: ALF, EMUNI, EM University of Fez. Other UfM fora.
- EuroMeSCo. Research institutes (Medea, IEMed…)
- ARELEN
- Other CD Institutes

15.
2 Capacity
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- Institutions and bodies supporting EU Cultural action:
- Cultural Diplomacy Platform
- UfM: ALF, EMUNI, EM University of Fez. Other UfM fora.
- EuroMeSCo. Research institutes (Medea, IEMed…)
- ARELEN
- Other CD Institutes

16.
3 Acceptance
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
Citizens:
Fertile ground but easier with Cultural operators.
Culture double-edged sword.
Good perception EU but 1 little information 2 culture secondary
demand
Who benefits?
(see ALF Report 2014 EU Neighborhood Barometer 2012-2014, SAHWA
Youth Survey 2016)

17.
3 Acceptance
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
National and regional leaders:
Political commitment in Association Agreements (+ Action
Plans) and non-ENP arrangements
UfM Dialogue. Tunis Declaration
Participation to Programmes
National governments still perceived as most important cultural
players (EU Neighborhood Barometer)

18.
3 Acceptance
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
Beyond EU: IOs and ROs
Council of Europe – South Programme II (Financed EU managed
CoE, (2015-2017, 7.4 million Euro)
UNESCO – Mediterranean Programme. Now NET-MED Youth.
ALECSO – LAS – ECLASLO
UN Agencies. UNIDO – UfM labelled ”Development of clusters in
cultural and creative industries in the SM” 2013-2017 (5,6 M)

19.
Challenges
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
EU side:
- Small topic in EU Global Strategy.
- ENP takes culture into little account (2015 review). Wrap up policy?
- Lack strategy. Short termed programmes. No regional CH.
- Failure to follow up on CS involvement.
- From regional to bilateral
- Lack donor coordination in cultural sector
- Rhetoric of soft power/showcasing?
- General ENP CS conundrum: stability vs. democratization. Ties with authoritarian
governments.

20.
Challenges
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
South Med:
- Shrinking space
- Lack of policy and strategy
- Little financial commitment to common programmes
- Lack of interest in South-South
- Divided in negotiation
Common:
- Lack of effective common policy framework
- Donor-recipient relationship
- Political declarations in bi-regional relations not followed by action
- Politics (e.g. Israel/Creative Europe.). Last Euro-Med meeting 2008.

21.
Cooptation: artists as diplomats?
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
“The failure to recognize that cultural actors do not pursue State interest-driven
deliverables seems to signal a disjuncture from reality.” (Isar, 2010).

22.
Conclusions
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- EU cultural action has potential to foster common norms/principles and practices
- EU and Med partners have created conditions for cultural cooperation. But it
remains a marginal topic.
- True in Euro-Mediterranean Process, but insufficient resources
- Bi-regional: EU-GCC, EU-LAS, 5+5 only political commitment
- MENA fertile ground, but presents many challenges
- (Limited) response to Arab Springs needs to be carried forward. Lost momentum?

23.
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
Thank you
rtrobbiani@cris.unu.edu

24.
Sources
Programme under Grant Agreement
No 693799.
2020
The EL-CSID project receives funding
from the European Union’s Horizon
Research and Innovation
- Adler, E. and Crawford, B. (2002) ‘Construc6ng a Mediterranean Region: A Cultural Approach’, paper presented for
the conference ‘The Convergence of Civiliza6ons? Construc6ng a Mediterranean Region’, 6-7 June 2002, Arrábida
Monastery, Fundação Oriente, Lisboa, Portugal
- Adler, E. and Crawford, B. (2004) ‘Norma6ve Power: The European Prac6ce of Region Building and the Case of the
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP)’, Ins6tute of European Studies Paper 040400, University of California,
Berkeley, p. 20.
- Deutsch, K. et al. (1957) ‘Poli6cal Community and the North Atlan6c Area: Interna6onal Organiza6on in the Light of
Historical Experience’, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- EC (2016) ‘Towards an EU strategy for interna6onal cultural rela6ons’, JOIN(2016) 29 final, Brussels, 8/06/2016.
- Isar, Y. R. (2010) ‘Cultural Diplomacy: An Overplayed Hand?’ Public Diplomacy Magazine, hlp://
www.publicdiplomacymagazine.com/cultural-diplomacy-an-overplayed-hand/
- Isar, Y. R. (2010) ‘Cultural Diplomacy: An Overplayed Hand?’ Public Diplomacy Magazine, hlp://
www.publicdiplomacymagazine.com/cultural-diplomacy-an-overplayed-hand/
- Kingah, S., Amaya A. B. and Van Langenhove, L. (2016) ‘Requirements for Effec6ve European Union Leadership in
Science and Cultural Diplomacy on (Inter) Regionalism in the South’, UNU-CRIS Working Paper W-2016/3
- Preparatory Ac6on ‘Culture in EU External Rela6ons. Engaging the World: Towards Global Cultural Ci6zenship’,
hlp://cultureinexternalrela6ons.eu/
- Triandafyllidou, Anna and Tamás Szűcs (2017) “EU Cultural Diplomacy: Challenges and Opportuni6es”, EUI RSCAS PB
Issue 2017/13 June 2017