Culture, policy, and subsidiarity in the European Union: from symbolic identity to the governmentalisation of culture

This paper critically assesses the discourse of cultural policy initiatives of the European Union (EU) during the 1990s. It focuses upon the formulation of so-called ‘cultural action’ following the recognition of culture in the Treaty on European Union in 1992. It explores the multiple instrumentalities ascribed to culture as a medium for the management of European integration, and suggests that the evolution of policies to promote cultural co-operation is indicative of a progressive ‘governmentalisation’ of culture at the EU level. The paper argues that the focus of critical evaluation of EU cultural policy should be upon practices of citizenship participation in emergent network polities.