THE ROLE OF EUROPEAN CULTURAL CSOS IN FOSTERING THE EU’S EXTERNAL CULTURAL RELATIONS

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to explore the role of the European cultural civil society organizations (CSOs) in fostering the EU’s external cultural relations. This paper is obtained in the following way. Firstly, the important role culture plays in contemporary international relations is conceptualized as well as the key concepts such as soft power, cultural diplomacy and international cultural relations are outlined. Secondly, the EU’s external cultural relations are articulated as an emerging cross-sectoral policy field which is extending between the EU’s cultural and external policies. Lastly, the role of the European cultural CSOs in fostering the EU’s external cultural relations is assessed in three following steps: firstly, by conceptualizing civil society organizations from general towards the EU’s perspective; secondly, by identifying the significance of involving the CSOs within the EU’s policy framework for external cultural relations; and thirdly, by providing review and analysis of European cultural CSOs’ actions in the field of the EU’s external cultural relations. Considering that culture represents an important component of contemporary international relations, this paper indicates that within the EU context cultural CSOs play an increasingly significant role in fostering further development of more comprehensive EU’s policy framework for external cultural relations.