A Participatory Process

The European Agenda for Music was developed out of a continent-wide consultation launched by the European Music Council (EMC). Reaching out to the entire music sector, it identifies the sector’s collective needs and sets out priorities for the future. A powerful confirmation of the European music sector’s desire to join together in the promotion of a common cause, the Agenda details which directions to pursue in order to ensure a music sector that remains strong, fair, innovative and diverse in a rapidly changing world.

The idea for the European Agenda for Music emerged from discussions among EMC members in autumn 2012 about the future of music in Europe. Recognising the need for action, the EMC reached out to music stakeholders across the continent. Drawing on conclusions from this initial survey, as well as on specific documents including EMC’s Manifesto for Youth and Music in Europe (2010) and Bonn Declaration (2011), the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the 2007 European Agenda for Culture and taking into consideration the AB Music Working Group Report (2016) and other policy documents previously released by the music sector, the EMC defined seven “fields of action” in the music sector. Working groups composed of expert representatives from these fields convened several times to debate and identify specific needs in these areas. Their findings were drawn up and submitted for review in a targeted consultation involving EMC members, working group members and the EMC Board. A proposal for the European Agenda for Music was then made public and comments collected through an open consultation to produce this final version.

This steadfast commitment to representivity allowed the European Agenda for Music to reach the diverse constituents of Europe’s music sector, who here join their voices to present a common European vision and set of priorities for the future.

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