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

Caribbean audiovisual productions, which when compliant with the ‘doable’ 80/20 ratio, can enter the EU market on equal footing with other European works. In terms of legal design, the PCC is innovative and has gained attention for its direct link to the 2005 Convention. As the very first PCC, it was also a sign of what to expect from the 2007 European Agenda for Culture and its external relations dimension. The rhetoric following the EPA’s adoption underpinned these perceptions. The European Commission referred to the Protocol as a ‘showcase of implementation’ of the 2005 UNESCO Convention and stressed the wish to ‘move early’ in order to signal Europe’s commitment to the Convention and reinforce its international standing. CARIFORUM stakeholders were even more enthusiastic and framed the PCC as an historic concession on the part of the EU that could create unprecedented opportunities for the Caribbean’s cultural producers. It is tempting to be seduced by these words and to believe that the opportunities created through the EPA would simply materialize over time, including the opening of the entertainment services sector, the movement of natural persons and substantial preferential access for audiovisual co-productions. It is hopeful to think that actors on both sides of the agreement – governments, public institutions, non-governmental bodies, industry organizations and individuals – would become aware of the EPA and make use of it. Yet, a decade after its adoption, the story is much more varied, complex and at times somewhat less positive in terms of actual market entry. This complexity is revealed by looking first at the relevant institutions for the implementation of the EPA and then at the actual steps – either in the form of adjusted policies, new financial instruments or the development of best practices – that contribute to its implementation on the ground.

The PCC provides opportunities for collaboration in the broader domain of

culture, as well as for some specific opportunities for cultural workers and artists to enter the EU in order to learn, to network or to receive technical assistance

23 Culture in the CARIFORUM-EU EPA