Ensuring equal opportunities and social inclusion in access to culture and lifelong learning

Social rights

Background

One of the priorities of the Hungarian Presidency is addressing demographic challenges. Ensuring equal opportunities and social inclusion in access to culture and lifelong learning (including the regional aspect of this topic) relates to this priority. The community-building role of culture in small villages and its role in helping disadvantaged areas and persons is undeniable. Ensuring access to cultural services for persons with disabilities is another important aspect of this issue, as well as the promotion of such access within the framework of equal cultural opportunities.

On a political level, it is important to ensure that culture is accessible to all, even in remote areas and during crises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became apparent that culture had a therapeutic role in people's lives. The general public's access to culture is also greatly facilitated through digitalisation and the use public spaces, such as libraries and cultural institutions. On top of this, culture plays an important role in economic development.

This opinion sets out ways to best promote and support equal opportunities and social inclusion in access to culture, while pushing for the creation of programmes and public policies that help reduce economic and educational inequalities.

Key points

The EESC:

  • asks the Commission and Member States to adopt policies reducing economic and educational inequalities, as these factors hinder cultural participation, particularly in rural areas. It also recommends creating and strengthening programs to eliminate various barriers (physical, economic, linguistic, etc.) to ensure inclusive cultural participation, with a focus on marginalized and discriminated groups;
  • proposes that the EU and Member States adopt budgetary strategies for supporting cultural policies in sparsely populated rural areas as a key pillar for sustainable development. It recommends integrating public investment and infrastructure development into a broader strategy to revitalize rural regions, attracting private investment and increasing cultural participation;
  • recommends integrating more cultural and artistic training in school curricula, and encourages specialised cultural professionals to settle in rural areas to drive local development;
  • calls for wide-ranging digital and cultural literacy campaigns in rural areas to promote lifelong learning, combat disinformation and uphold EU values;
  • suggests creating a European Year of Rural Areas to highlight their cultural and economic contributions.

The text of the draft opinion can be found here.

 

Additional information

Section: Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC)

Opinion number: SOC/809

Opinion type: Exploratory

Rapporteur: Carlos Manuel Trindade

Date of adoption by section: 3/9/2024

Result of the vote: 93 in favour/0 against/0 abstentions

Date of adoption in plenary: 18/09/2024  – 19/09/2024

Result of the vote:   in favour/ against/ abstentions

 

Contacts

Press officer: Leonard Mallett

Tel.: 00 32 2 546 93 37

Email: Leonard.Mallett@eesc.europa.eu  

 

Administrator: Alessia Cova

Tel.: +32 2 546 94 26

Email: Alessia.Cova@eesc.europa.eu