Impact Study: UNESCO-Aschberg Programme for Artists and Cultural Professionals

The questions addressed in this study are set against this backdrop. It seeks to evaluate whether the EPA, ten years into its implementation, has made a substantial and measurable impact on cultural trade relations between CARIFORUM States and the EU and whether governments, State and non-State agencies, industry bodies, individual firms and actors have responded to the opportunities created by the CARIFORUM‑EU EPA for a more culturally diverse environment. The study begins by outlining the EPA’s key provisions in the field of culture. It then examines the institutional landscape and focuses in particular on measures taken by EPA Parties to implement its culture-related provisions. The overall performance of the EPA so far is evaluated with data, practices and other pieces of anecdotal evidence that may reveal the extent to which the EPA has had an impact on cultural activities and actors. It also identifies gaps or missed opportunities that can be addressed in future implementation strategies. Policy recommendations conclude this study. This includes short- to long-termmeasures to support the implementation of the EPA in the future. They have been formulated to renew hope that trade commitments and cultural policies can be reconciled and can live up to the promises of the 2005 UNESCO Convention and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

15 Culture in the CARIFORUM-EU EPA