Public funding should compensate for obstacles to participation in culture

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.
Dr 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.

FINANZJAMENT PUBBLIKU GĦANDU JAGĦMEL TAJJEB GĦALL-OSTAKLI FIL-PARTEĊIPAZZJONI KULTURALI

Fil-Parlament Ewropew Alfred Sant qal li jekk il-finanzi huma wieħed mill-ostakli ewlenin għall-parteċipazzjoni fil-kultura, l-awtoritajiet Ewropej u Nazzjonali għandhom jallokaw sehem adegwat mill-baġits tagħhom għal finanzjament pubbliku tal-kultura. Dr Sant indirizza r-realtajiet tan-nies fl-Ewropa li jaħdmu f’żoni rurali jew ’il bogħod minn ċentri urbani kbar li probabbli jipparteċipaw inqas f’avvenimenti kulturali. Huwa qal li għandu jkun faċilitat l-aċċess onlajn għal kontenut kulturali permezz tad-diġitilizzazzjoni waqt li t-turiżmu kulturali għandu jkun sostnut permezz ta’ infrastruttura tat-trasport.
Dr Sant qal li l-wirt kulturali Ewropew, id-diversita` kulturali u lingwistika turi sitwazzjoni pjuttost frammentata madwar l-UE waqt li ivvota favur ir-riżoluzzjoni dwar ostakli strutturali u finanzjarji fl-aċċess għal kultura.
“Ivvotajt favur din ir-riżoluzzjoni għax nemmen li l-UE flimkien mal-awtoritajiet nazzjonali u reġjonali għandhom jiżviluppaw u jimplimentaw il-miżuri kollha li jiggarantixxu parteċipazzjoni fil-ħajja kulturali: l-attivitajiet artistiċi għandhom ikunu faċilitati, filwaqt li ċ-ċittadini jingħataw aċċess għal produzzjoni tas-setturi kulturali u kreattivi.”
Dr Sant qal li l-aċċess għall-kultura għandu effett dirett f’oqsma oħra tal-ħajja soċjali, li jinkludi t-tkabbir ekonomiku. Inizjattivi bħal ‘Il-Kapitali Ewropea tal-Kultura’ huma milqugħa, iżda jeħtieġ li jsir aktar fil-promozzjoni u l-iffaċilitar ta’ koordinazzjoni aħjar tal-politika kulturali, b’enfasi fuq iż-żgħażagħ, qal l-MEP Malti.
Ir-riżoluzzjoni għaddiet b’583 voti favur, 49 kontra u 7 astenzjonijiet.