Remembering Maastricht as the first legal basis for culture at the European level

Les Rencontres - Association of European cities and regions for culture - will celebrate together with Maastricht, the Province of Limburg in the Netherlands and the Euroregion Meuse-Rhine, the 20th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty which introduced a legal basis for culture for the first time at the European level. At this occasion we organise La Rencontre de Maastricht - Which Europe of culture twenty years after the Maastricht Treaty ? 22-25 March 2012

During this meeting we will explore the stakes and challenges regarding the European construction in the field of culture, especially in these times of crisis. We will discuss the issues of the next Culture Programme (2014-2020) and work on concrete and precise proposals for the future of this programme after 2020. Furthermore we will talk about the changes in art practices and about the issues of « Interdisciplinary Arts ». We will also explore the stakes of cultural redevelopment and urban rehabilitation throughout Europe. Finally we will hold the annual Committee meeting of our network, in order to approve the 2011 moral and financial reports of the association, the programme and budget for 2012 and the perspectives for 2012.