Preferential treatment

Some dimensions of the preferential treatment of artists, cultural professionals and others active in the cultural sector along with cultural goods and services from developing countries have, for some time, formed a part of German international cooperation. However, to date they have not been quantitatively and qualitatively grouped under this particular heading. Numerous programmes fall under the heading of artist mobility and exchange’, including artist residencies and grants from local governments, the Länder, the Federal Government and foundations. For example, the Federal Government and the Berlin Senate fund the Artists-in-Berlin Programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). This is one of the most renowned international fellowship programmes, that gives 20 foreign artists (visual art, literature, music and film) the opportunity to spend a year in Berlin. Since 1963, over 1,000 artists have participated in the programme. Cultural and educational institutions have also received increased funding to build partnerships that facilitate extracurricular youth cultural exchanges with developing countries. Under the heading ‘market access, products and services’, the World Cinema Fund (see above) stands out as an effective tool for the preferential treatment of filmmakers and films from developing and emerging countries. It complements similar funds from film festivals in Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Goteborg (Sweden) along with Switzerland and France. The programme for promoting the translation of selected literary works from Asia, Africa and Latin America into the German language (LITPROM, see above), along with the TRADUKI translators network (see above), are additional innovative initiatives to strengthen market access for authors from developing countries or countries with small language groups and consequently limited markets. The Federal Government supports the Zentrum “Weltempfang” (World Reception Centre) and “Cafe Europa” at the Frankfurt and Leipzig Book Fairs as well as the Frankfurt Book Fair’s publishers invitation programme, which eases market access for publishers from developing and emerging countries. The preferential treatment of developing countries in the field of culture through trade policy measures, is also addressed by EU legislation guaranteeing duty and quota-free import of all goods, including cultural goods for LDCs, except weapons.