Representing Romania at the informal meeting of EU culture ministers held on April 7 - 8 in Warsaw, Culture Minister Natalia Intotero reaffirmed Romania's commitment to supporting young artists and professionals in the cultural and creative fields, a release informs.
The meeting held under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU provided a favorable framework for open dialogue between the culture ministers of the member states, with an emphasis on the essential role of culture in strengthening the European identity and in addressing current challenges.
The topics discussed included support for young artists, protecting the cultural heritage and developing a new strategic framework for European cultural policies, known as the Cultural Compass.
"In her intervention, Minister Natalia Intotero advocated the inclusion in the Cultural Compass of fundamental principles such as: protecting cultural heritage; fair financing and support for new generations of creators; facilitating young people's access to culture; using emerging technologies - including AI - for the benefit of culture," the cited source said.
Intotero also reiterated Romania's commitment to supporting young artists and cultural and creative professionals through programs such as the Administration of the National Cultural Fund, artistic residencies, tax facilities and the development of cultural infrastructure.
The Romanian culture minister highlighted the importance of culture as a pillar of European resilience and cohesion in the current geopolitical context, as well as the need for integrated policies to protect the heritage in the face of natural disasters and armed conflicts, reiterating in this regard Romania's proposal for the creation of a European Cultural Heritage Fund.
The Start-Up Nation program which provides non-repayable financing for entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative sectors, and through which Romania encourages young creative people to develop their own initiatives was signalled out as a model of best practice.
The agenda also included thematic working sessions, a presentation of Ukraine's experience with protecting its national heritage, as well as debates on the future of the Creative Europe program after 2027.
According to the Culture Ministry, following Romania's intervention in connection with the heist of the Dacian treasure items from the Drents Museum in Assen, the Dutch side reacted promptly, expressing full support for the Romanian authorities and pledging to continue all necessary action for recovering the precious national heritage items.
The participation of the Romanian delegation in this meeting reaffirmed Romania's active role in defining European cultural policies and provided an important opportunity to promote national priorities regarding supporting creativity, cultural diversity and heritage protection, the Culture Ministry also informs.
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