Frequently Asked Questions

I am looking for cultural policy information on country "x" and can not find any on your website.  Can you help?

It is the goal of the project to include all 49 states which are party to the European Cultural Convention.  As of the beginning of 2008, 41 countries participate in the Compendium project. 

In order to participate in the project, the administrations responsible for cultural policy announce to the Council of Europe their wish to join the project. Once they do, steps are taken to work with local researchers to compile a country profile based on the Compendium methodology. 

If you can not find information on the country you are looking for, it is because the respective government has not yet announced its intention to participate in the project.

In the meantime, we will do our best to direct you to other sources or key contacts in those countries for which you are looking for information.

Are the country profiles available in languages other than English?

For financial reasons, the present working language of the Compendium project is English.  Profiles in additional languages are prepared at the initiative of the Compendium author or his country's government, conditional on the availability of funding for such translations. 

Where can I purchase a copy of the Compendium as a printed publication?

In 1998, the Compendium was first published as a loose leaf binder, similar in format to a legal directory with the possibility of replacing updated pages each year.  In 2000, the decision was made to develop the project as an online system which:

1. is more cost effective; 
2. would ensure the widest possible access to the greatest number of users;
3. could facilitate transversal reading of the country profiles; and
4. encourage interaction between the national experts and the users of their country profiles (i.e. policy makers, researchers, students, managers, journalists etc).

If so desired, users can print country profiles, comparative tables or integrated reports directly from the website. 

Beware: if printed in its entirety, the Compendium publication would consist of over 2,500 printed pages!

I am looking for cooperation partners in other countries to realise my artistic / culture project.  Can you help?

The Compendium country profiles provide a series to links to key institutions and organisations in their countries.  This information is available from sub-chapter 9.2 of the country profiles, as well as from individual chapters.  If you do not find the information you are looking for, you should first consult information systems specialising in such services, e.g. national Cultural Contact Points (they exist in all EU countries) or www.labforculture.org. If there are still open questions, contact the national experts directly to assist you in your request.

I am interested to learn more about European culture for business negotiation purposes. Where can I find this information on your site?

The Compendium country profiles do not provide such information.  They do provide details about private sector involvement in the culture field as well as public incentives for sponsorship, donations etc.

I am preparing a large comparative research study and would like to include some of the country-specific information published online. Do I need to ask permission?

The Compendium is a public online information system and you are encouraged to use the information and data in your daily work, free of charge. 

However, according to professional standards and practice, you are required to use the following reference(s) when reproducing large or small excerpts:

Council of Europe/ERICarts: "Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe", 9th edition 2008.  <http:// www.culturalpolicies.net>
OR
(Name of Author), "(Country Name)" in, Council of Europe/ERICarts: Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe, 9th edition 2008. <http:// www.culturalpolicies.net>

If you wish to reproduce large parts of the Compendium in print or in electronic form including in a translated version, for whatever purpose, a specific request has to be addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe who may authorise the reproduction in consultation with ERICarts. For information and authorisation please contact the Culture and Cultural Heritage Department of the Council of Europe,
email: CulturalpolicyRDUnit@coe.int.