Maltese MEP Alfred Sant told the European Parliament that if financial barriers are one of the major obstacles to participation in culture, European and national authorities should allocate a sufficient share of their budgets to public funding for culture. Dr Sant, voting in favour of a European Parliament resolution on structural and financial barriers in the access to culture, addressed the realities of people living in rural areas or far from large urban centres who are much less likely to participate in cultural life. The Maltese MEP said that here more should be done to facilitate online access to cultural content through digitisation as well as to support cultural tourism through transport infrastructure.
Sant said the resolution on structural and financial barriers in the access to culture, Europe's cultural heritage, cultural and linguistic diversity depicts a quite fragmented situation across the EU.
“I voted in favour of this resolution because I believe that the EU together with national and regional authorities within their sphere of competence should develop and implement all measures to guarantee access to and participation in cultural life: the artistic activities of artists themselves should be facilitated, whilst providing citizens with access to the output of the cultural and creative sectors.”
The Maltese MEP said access to culture impacts other areas of social life, including economic growth. For this reason, initiatives like “the European Capital of Culture” are welcome, but more is needed for promoting and facilitating better coordination of cultural policies, with an emphasis on the youngest.
The resolution was adopted on with 583 votes in favour, 49 votes against and 7 abstentions.