På det nyss avslutade European Culture Forum i Bryssel fick drygt 1000 deltagare höra EU-Kommissionens ordförande José Emanuel Barosso hålla ett invigningstal där han talade om kulturens värde för det Europeiska samarbetet. Han lyfte bl a fram vikten av den ökade budgeten för Kreativa Europa:

“9% increase of a current funding levels, an important increase of the budget. Our aim is to help artists, culture professionals, and culture organisations to work across boarders and ensure that their works reach as many people as possible. Spending on culture is not a luxury but a sound investment and not only for the distant future. Culture is not nice to have but a need to have. We believe it is not smart to cut in culture, to cut in science, to cut in research, to cut in what can be the sources of growth in the future, of job creation for our young people.”

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