05/05/2025
With a new OMC report now on the table, and a cultural strategy framework in development, the EU faces a pivotal choice: will international cultural relations continue to rely on ad hoc cooperation, or can a true strategy for coordinated action finally take shape? Discover the opportunities — and challenges — ahead.
In January 2025, the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) Group of Member States’ experts on International Cultural Relations (ICR) presented its final report and recommendations to the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Council of the EU. This marks a significant milestone in the evolving governance of culture in EU external relations – but also laid bare the ongoing challenges ahead.
The report underscores that while international cultural relations have gained visibility in the EU’s external action toolbox, fragmentation remains. Coordination between Member States and EU institutions continues to be piecemeal, while cooperation — a more informal exchange of practices and partnerships — is better embedded. This echoes findings from previous research: cooperation is politically acceptable and often celebrated, but coordination—implying alignment or shared decision-making—still raises sovereignty concerns.
The OMC experts call for a strategic leap: recognising international cultural relations as a distinct policy field, with a consolidated EU strategy, clear coordination structures, and sufficient human and financial resources. Their proposals include establishing permanent ICR working groups, enhancing internal and multilateral coordination, and better integrating culture across broader initiatives such as Global Gateway and Team Europe. The recommendation to strengthen the role of the Cultural Affairs Committee and set up a dedicated ICR working group signals a pragmatic, incremental approach — small steps towards larger shifts.
The foundation for the OMC Group’s work was set by a clear and ambitious mandate under the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023–2026. Tasked with strengthening the governance of the EU strategic approach to international cultural relations, the group was asked to outline proposals to bridge gaps between foreign affairs, cultural, and development cooperation policies. Notably, the mandate stresses the need for cohesive decision-making based on co-creation and a bottom-up approach — promoting cross-sectoral synergies and reinforcing the Team Europe spirit in external cultural action. The OMC’s focus on linking culture to broader frameworks, such as sustainable development and multilateral engagement, highlights the EU’s recognition that culture is not peripheral, but essential to addressing today’s global challenges.
Yet the distinction between cooperation and coordination remains crucial to critically assess these proposals. As Figueira and Fisher (2023) argue, joined-up governance in EU international cultural relations remains more of an aspiration than a reality. Member States’ preference for flexible cooperation over structured coordination risks undermining the long-term strategic vision the OMC report advocates.
In parallel, the Voices of Culture dialogue on international cultural relations (in which ENCATC participated) offers complementary insights. Its recommendations, rooted in civil society perspectives, call for greater accessibility, equity, long-term investment, and recognition of non-state actors as key partners in shaping cultural relations. Voices of Culture underlines that meaningful international engagement must go beyond institutional cooperation: it must embrace sustainable partnerships, decentralised decision-making, and attention to inclusivity, particularly in relation to the Global South.
Moreover, the OMC’s vision is deeply intertwined with the emerging Culture Compass initiative, which aims to set a comprehensive EU strategic framework for culture. There is an opportunity — but also a risk — here: culture’s role in external relations must not be diluted into generic diplomacy or instrumentalised solely for foreign policy goals. The OMC stresses the need for a co-creative, decentralized, and context-sensitive approach — values also championed by ENCATC in its work on cultural sustainability.
Looking ahead, the success of the OMC recommendations will depend on political will, resource allocation, and, critically, a mindset shift: embracing culture not just as a ‘soft power’ tool, but as a pillar of sustainable, trust-based international engagement. In a world increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions and sustainability challenges, international cultural relations offer a vital space for dialogue, solidarity, and co-creation — provided we are willing to invest not just in cooperation, but also in meaningful coordination.
ENCATC will continue to monitor developments and advocate for an inclusive, evidence-informed approach that puts culture — and cultural relations — at the heart of the EU’s external engagement.
As a learning community grounded in the principles of social learning and communities of practice, ENCATC invites its members and stakeholders to continue exploring and deepening these conversations at the upcoming ENCATC Congress, where we co-create knowledge, strengthen connections, and shape the future of cultural policy together.