A missing link in the cultural evolution of the European Union: Confronting EU ideology with INTERREG III practice concerning cultural diversity

Cultural variety is seen as an important characteristic of Europe. The enlargement of the European Union (EU), globalisation, the decentralisation of the policy process, and the responses within local communities have combined to increase the multicultural character of many countries, adding to the number of languages, religions, ethnic and cultural backgrounds present in regions and cities. Recently, the EU has put more emphasis on a regional approach in its policies, with the aim of bringing Europe closer to its citizens. The European Commission (EC) became aware of the importance of the regional and cultural dimension of European integration for bridging the gap between integration policy, enlargement, and the citizens themselves (Barnett 2001). In this respect, Europe is advocating regional cultural variety as a resource in a pluralist policy approach (Coultrap 1999). ‘Unity in diversity’ is the appropriated slogan, aiming to bring out the common aspects of Europe’s heritage, while respecting cultural, national and regional diversity.