Culture Compass – position statement

Michael Culture Association warmly welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to establish a Culture Compass, and sees this as a timely and strategic opportunity to shape a coherent, ambitious, and integrated vision for EU cultural policy.

At a time of profound democratic, environmental, digital, and geopolitical transitions, culture must be repositioned at the heart of the European project. The Culture Compass has the potential to become a structuring framework: both a reflection of Europe’s cultural richness and diversity, and a forward-looking instrument grounded in democratic values, cultural rights, sustainability, and digital sovereignty.

As a European trans-sectoral network dedicated to cultural heritage—particularly digital cultural content—MCA brings together public and private cultural institutions, ministries, researchers, heritage professionals, and digital innovation actors from across Europe and beyond. Building on this diversity of perspectives, this contribution identifies six fundamental thematic pillars to help structure the Culture Compass. Each pillar is grounded in an ethical principle, translated into actionable priorities, and illustrated by relevant European projects led or supported by our network.

Culture Association