ABSTRACT
The European integration project which started with the Treaty of Rome in 1957 has for most of its history avoided to include cultural action as a field of common engagement. The beginnings of policy shifts after the Maastricht Treaty have to be seen in the context of the specifics of European integration since 1989 and subsequent changes in the mental landscape of Europe. Traditionally most European countries lay particular stress on cultural relations in public diplomacy. Europe has to significantly widen its priority objectives for public diplomacy from presenting national images or directly trying to influence international opinion towards supporting intercultural dialogue within Europe and worldwide. In European countries national cultural policies tend to be state driven means to support specific political ideas about identity and to provide social security for artists and other people working in the cultural sector. International cultural activities are predominantly seen as political instruments for winning friends and influencing people'.
