On September 29-30, IFEA Europe was one of more than 900 organisations present at the European Commission’s second European Cultural Forum in Brussels. Since the previous meeting in Lisbon in 2007, the dialogue between Europe’s active cultural civil society sector and the political system has improved, as the cultural agenda in general has received greater political attention.
Among the most important issues technical/legal/financial hinderances to the free mobility of artists and cultural workers, including tax and VAT issues, and visa/work permit policies. To the organisations present, it was evident that unless national governments are pushed by national organisations to bring the issues on the agenda at pan-European ministers’ meetings, little progress will be made. IFEA Europe supports Culture Action Europe’s manifesto “Culture in Europe: Make it fly”, which is available at www.cultureactioneurope.org.
