Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Gabriel participate in the G20 Culture Ministerial meeting

Today and tomorrow, the G20 Culture Ministers will meet in Rome, Italy, to exchange practices and strategies to support the sector’s recovery from the pandemic and to discuss its importance for the economy and the well-being of societies. Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President for Promoting the European Way of Life, will represent the Commission during the opening ceremony on Thursday 29 July. On Friday 30 July, Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, will represent the Commission and deliver a keynote speech on the role of the cultural and creative sectors as driving forces for growth. This is the first meeting of Culture Ministers since the new G20 Culture strand was launched under a joint initiative between the 2020 and 2021 Presidencies, Saudi Arabia and Italy, respectively. The participants will discuss the protection of cultural heritage, the climate crisis, capacity building through training and education, the digital transition and new technologies for culture. They will also debate the importance of the cultural and creative sectors for growth. Moreover, they will endorse a Ministerial Declaration, committing to further cooperation in this field. Commissioner Gabriel will outline the EU’s support for the recovery of the cultural and creative sectors through the Recovery and Resilience Facility and highlight EU actions that promote the sectors’ long-term growth and role as engines for sustainable social and economic development. In June, the Commission published EU guidelines to ensure the safe resumption of activities in the cultural and creative sectors across the EU, taking into account the evolving epidemiological situation.