EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) is the European network of organisations engaging in cultural relations. Its aim is to enhance cultural ties and build trust and understanding within the EU and beyond, advocate for the mainstreaming of cultural cooperation in international relations, and provide a platform to pool, coordinate and enhance resources for better cultural cooperation.

In light of its history and symbolic place in the landscape of pan-European cooperation, the city of Strasbourg has much to bring to strengthening intercultural dialogue. As a place of cooperation and dialogue between governments, international institutions, private sector actors and the civil society, Strasbourg provides a vibrant environment for enhanced cultural exchanges and the promotion of diversity as a cornerstone of the European project.

The local EUNIC cluster in Strasbourg will thus strive to achieve three main objectives:

• Fostering cooperation and strenghetning cultural relations between representations of EU Member States in Strasbourg and local stakeholders;
• Promoting the European Union and Council of Europe core values – human rights, democracy and the rule of law –  through joint cultural projects;
• Contributing to effectively relaunching cultural life in Strasbourg and encouraging art and cultural producers in their creative work after the standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cluster will start functioning with five founding members and will remain open to Permanent Representations, General Consulates and cultural institutes of EU Member States in Strasbourg. On 28 June 2021 Alexander Wojda, the Austrian Consul General in Strasbourg and Deputy Permanent Representative of Austria to the Council of Europe, has been elected as the first president of EUNIC Strasbourg. The EU Delegation to the Council of Europe will participate in the cluster’s projects as a strategic partner.

In the longer run, we hope this project will further build to the mainstreaming of culture into regular diplomatic cooperation and make culture a vivid lever of cooperation between EU Member States, the Council of Europe and local partners in Strasbourg.

For any questions you may have regarding EUNIC Strasbourg, you can contact us at delegation-strasbourg-press@eeas.europa.eu