European Commission, trade agreements and diversity of cultural expressions: Between autonomy and influence

• Published in: European journal of communication (London) Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 446 - 461
• Main Author: Vlassis, Antonios
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.08.2016; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: audiovisual; audiovisual policies; Autonomy; Caribbean countries; Cariforum; cinema policies; civil society; Conventions; cultural cooperation; cultural diplomacy; cultural diversity; cultural industries; cultural policies; culture; development; digital; digital technologies; Droit, criminologie & sciences politiques; economic integration; Europe; European Commission; european integration; European Union; Foreign policy; Hollywood; international cooperation; international political economy; international relations; Law, criminology & political science; media studies; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Negotiations; norms; Political science, public administration & international relations; Sciences politiques, administration publique & relations internationales; soft power; South Korea; trade; Trade agreements; trade diplomacy; Trade negotiation; trade negotiations; transatlantic agreement; transatlantic relations; TTIP; UNESCO; US foreign policy; Cultural expressions; cultural cooperation; trade agreements; digital services; EU audiovisual policies
• ISSN: 0267-3231; 1460-3705; 1460-3705
• DOI: 10.1177/0267323116655506

The Convention on diversity of cultural expressions – adopted by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2005 – is a main international instrument within the global governance of cultural and audiovisual industries. For its part, the European Commission played a critical role in the negotiation, leading to the Convention on Diversity of Cultural Expressions’ adoption. In this respect, the article aims to explore why and how the Commission uses the Convention on Diversity of Cultural Expressions throughout the recent European Union trade negotiations, for which purposes and how the Convention on Diversity of Cultural Expressions influences the European Union foreign policy and its objectives. The article is more concerned with analysing the policy process through which the Commission’s strategy is formulated in light of the Convention on Diversity of Cultural Expressions and of the place of cultural and audiovisual industries within the European Union trade agreements and also concerned with understanding whether the Commission’s autonomy is transformed into influence within the policy process.