European Policy on Culture and Prospective Synergies: A Mission not so Impossible

The intense competition in the global socioeconomic environment forces countries to develop their competitive advantages. Culture constitutes one of the most valuable assets for such purposes and is distinguished for its ability to extend its dynamics beyond time and space limitations. The European Union demonstrates its strong interest in deploying its cultural resources by introducing interventions that proactively protect and promote its heritage. Such interventions have a significant influence on the prospects for economic development, increase of employment and enhancement of social cohesion and active citizenship. The paper focuses on the efforts of the European Union to make the most of its cultural advantages. The paper is organized with a twofold aim. On one hand, it highlights particular dimensions of the European cultural policy context. On the other hand, it focuses on two policy actions, the European Capitals of Culture and the European Heritage Label, and attempts to analyze their role as pillars of broader synergies in the field of culture. The particular initiatives are considered able to encourage cultural cooperation and to exercise an emblematic role as motivational factors of development in different fields of interest. Besides transforming the cultural expression in its tangible and intangible form and enhancing the European identity awareness, they facilitate the better understanding of cultural diversity and the development of multilevel and interactive synergies among various stakeholders. Finally, the paper aspires to define the ability of the particular instruments to serve as useful models for action at regional and local level.