Who we are

EENC - A resource for the European cultural policy community

The European Expert Network on Culture (the EENC) is a network of scholars working on the analysis of culture and cultural heritage policies. It was set up in 2020, after a Call for Tenders by European Commission's Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. The EENC is coordinated by Interarts (www.interarts.net) with Dr. Cornelia Dümcke as scientific coordinator.

The EENC’s mission is to advise and support the European Commission in the analysis of cultural and cultural heritage policies and reforms, and to consider their implications at national, regional and European level. This support includes providing access to the most relevant evidence from research, covering the different dimensions of the cultural sector, considering the transversal, cross-sectoral and mainstreaming value of culture, as defined in the 2018 New Agenda for Culture and the Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022. Emphasis will most surely be on the EU’s and international policy context, in particular as regards cultural heritage, sustainable development and climate change.

The EENC also contributes to the dissemination of policy-relevant knowledge and evidence on culture and cultural heritage policy, mainly through its reports and its website.

The EENC will provide guidance and advice to the European Commission through policy briefings, analytical reports and studies. It will also support the work of the Working Groups of Member States’ experts established by the European Commission in the context of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC).

The EENC has a core group of experts who are widely known and respected for their work, for their knowledge of culture policies and for their record of working closely with policy makers. In addition to the core group, the network will have a number of affiliated experts who will be asked to work on specific assignments (see Bios).

The EENC Website aims to provide a user-friendly resource, primarily for policy-makers in the wider field of culture. However, researchers, artists, educators, journalists and other actors in the field of culture and in related fields may also find it useful.