EU Public Affairs Monitor - 16/01/09

Christine Albanel se rend à Cannes pour inaugurer le 43e Marché international de la Musique et de l’Edition Musicale (MIDEM)
"...qui se tient du 17 au 21 janvier. Elle y prononcera un discours, suivi d'une conférence de presse. Elle rencontrera aussi des parlementaires et des professionnels du secteur musical à propos du projet de loi « Création et Internet ».

Le plus grand marché musical au monde. Chaque année, depuis 1967, le MIDEM réunit à Cannes les professionnels du monde entier, qui travaillent dans tous les secteurs de la filière musicale – disque, édition, spectacle vivant, vidéo clip, internet, téléphonie mobile...

Pour son édition 2008, le MIDEM a rassemblé 9 093 participants représentant 4 545 entreprises provenant de 88 pays. Ils ont été 2 233 à tenir un stand. La surface d’exposition était de plus de 9 000 m2.. 482 journalistes appartenant à 398 médias étaient présents pour couvrir l'évènement. L'Origine des participants en 2008: Europe: 67%. Amérique: 22%. Asie: 6%. Océanie: 2%. Moyen-Orient: 2%. Afrique: 1%.
Le 43e Marché international de la Musique et de l’Edition Musicale (MIDEM), qui se tient du 17 au 21 janvier à Cannes. Il est inauguré par Christine Albanel." [Culture]

La coalition d'Angela Merkel s'accorde sur un plan de relance historique
"Les partis de la coalition gouvernementale allemande, CDU et SPD, ont officiellement adopté, lundi soir 12 janvier, un plan de relance historique de 50 milliards d'euros sur deux ans, prévoyant notamment des baisses d'impôts. Il vise à donner un coup de fouet à l'économie de la première puissance exportatrice mondiale menacée d'une grave récession, alors que se profilent les élections législatives du 27 septembre.

Ce plan de relance économique, le plus important dans l'histoire de l'Allemagne d'après-guerre, comprendra des baisses d'impôt d'un montant de quelque 18 milliards d'euros pour les particuliers et pour les entreprises, ont indiqué Peter Struck, chef du groupe parlementaire SPD et Volker Kauder, chef du groupe CDU, à l'issue d'une réunion commune à la chancellerie. Ce plan prévoit également "un grand pacte pour l'investissement" de 17 à 18 milliards d'euros dans lequel seront impliqués l'Etat fédéral, les Etats régionaux et les communes, a souligné M. Struck à l'issue de la réunion de près de six heures dirigée par la chancelière Angela Merkel." [LeMonde]

Sarkozy annonce la gratuité des musées pour les moins de 25 ans
"Lors de ses voeux devant les responsables du monde de la culture, le Président a aussi promis 100 millions d’euros pour la rénovation du patrimoine. Le président Nicolas Sarkozy a annoncé aujourd’hui un accès gratuit aux musées et aux monuments de l’Etat pour les moins de 25 ans ainsi que les professeurs. Cette mesure entrera en vigueur le 4 avril, a précisé le chef de l’Etat, lors de ses voeux devant les responsables du monde de la culture.

Cette mesure de gratuité «ne tue pas les musées, au contraire, car les jeunes qui ont l’habitude d’aller au musée» iront également quand ils seront adultes, a jugé Sarkozy. Le ministère de la Culture avait mené au premier semestre 2008 une expérimentation de gratuité totale (pour les collections permanentes) dans quatorze établissements nationaux, musées ou monuments, avec pour objectif d’élargir leur fréquentation à de nouveaux publics." [Liberation]

Heron's Eye: 14/01/09

Danny Morrison on how the intelligence services fought a dirty war against the IRA
"It was a bitterly cold January night in 1990 in Belfast and I was on my way to meet a man who had just confessed to being a police informer. Things were relatively quiet. There had been some raiding in the north of the city but there were no army surveillance helicopters in the air and I had encountered no checkpoints on the way to the rendezvous.

At the time, I had a high profile as national director of publicity for Sinn Fein, as the former editor of the party's weekly newspaper, a spokesperson for Bobby Sands during the hunger strike, and a former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. In 1981, I had made the so-called "Armalite and ballot box" speech, which summed up what subsequently came to be the dual strategy of the republican movement and Sinn Fein's involvement in electoral politics. I was a familiar figure to most British journalists." [Guardian]

Jack Straw plan for private inquests back on agenda
"Jack Straw, the justice secretary, will today revive his plan to hold inquests that involve aspects of national security in private without a jury when the coroners and justice bill is published.

The controversial measure, which could be invoked in cases like those of British servicemen killed by American forces in Iraq and the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes on the London tube, was shelved last month when it faced severe criticism during the passage of the Counter-Terrorism Act." [Guardian]

Helen Bamber: From Belsen to Zimbabwe
"I have worked in human rights for 60 years. I was a member of one of the first rehabilitation teams to enter the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945 and have since continued to help survivors of extreme brutality and human rights violations. At the Helen Bamber Foundation I see on a daily basis victims of torture, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, genocide and ethnic cleansing.

I find myself compelled to speak out publicly in response to comments by the immigration minister, Phil Woolas. Calling for a review of the Geneva conventions - which he described as outdated - Woolas argued that "a significant number of people who claim asylum are doing so for broadly economic reasons". " [Guardian]

Why the EU artwork is not what it seems
"As hoaxes go, this one is bound to be memorable. David Cerny, a Czech artist, admitted today that he managed to hoodwink the great and good of Brussels, and his own government, with a major artwork to mark the Czech Republic's six-month presidency of the EU.

When the giant eight tonne mosaic – supposedly the work of 27 artists from each of the EU member states – was unveiled at the headquarters of the Council of Ministers this week there was laughter as Slovenia was associated with masturbation and five Lithuanian soldiers were depicted urinating on Russia." [Guardian]

Click here to read more information on Mr Grimsdale, King Heron and Mobius

EU Public Affairs Monitor - 09/01/09

Debates on creativity
"Throughout EYIC2009 six debates on key topics around Creativity and Innovation will be held in cooperation with the European Policy Centre (EPC), special partner of the Year. The debates are designed to provide a platform for reflection and exchange of ideas which can contribute to policy discussion on Creativity and Innovation.

In each debate, high level speakers will introduce their views and experience in Creativity and Innovation. The debates will take place in Brussels and will cover the following issues:
* Cultural diversity as basis for Creativity and Innovation
Debate organised to explore Europe’s potential for C&I through multiculturalism.
* Creativity and Innovation in the public sector
Debate focused on innovation in the public sector through integration of technologies and innovation of processes, in particular in the fields of health, education and social services.
* Education for creativity and innovation
Debate on the importance of education for developing creative, innovative and entrepreneurial societies.
* Creativity and Innovation and the knowledge society
Debate on how the free movement of knowledge can both inspire creativity and innovation in Europe and contribute to an important modernisation of Europe in light of economic and social challenges.
* Creativity and Innovation and sustainable development
Debate on eco-innovation with particular attention to climate change, security of energy supply and the issue of innovation and job-creation.
* Creative arts and Industries
Debate about the role of creative arts in industrial design and development." [Create]

Creativity versus crisis: European Year of Creativity and Innovation
"Encouraging people to be as creative and innovative as possible in education, employment and cultural activities are three main aims of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation launched Wednesday. The aim is to innovate in areas such as the economy but also social and individual well-being.

Other objectives for this year include creativity and innovation in transport policy, the environment, research and the information society. There will be promotion campaigns, events and initiatives at European, national, regional and local levels. Supporters are hoping it will help the so called "Lisbon Agenda" launched in 2001 which aims to make the EU "the most competitive knowledge-based economy" in the world by 2010." [Europa]

HARDtalk interview broadcast
Stephen Sackur speaks to the CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, John Kennedy. These are tough times for the traditional record companies.
Sales of CDs are falling, the battle against online piracy shows no signs of abating and established artists are working more independently.

John Kennedy is the CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
Is the new digital era good for artists, fans and the music industry, or is it a disaster in the making? He represents the international recording industry worldwide and is fighting for its survival. [BBC]

Cable operators first ISPs to respond
"After a decade of RIAA-bashing by very vocal advocates who essentially believe that music should be shared freely over the Internet – or, at least, that music copyright holders should not enforce rights in court – it comes as no real surprise that U.S. Internet services providers that agreed recently to help stem peer-to-peer piracy want their names and the terms held in confidence. Lips of the parties -- and possible parties -- to the ‘graduated response’ deals involving illegal file sharers, brokered by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, are tighter than usual.

While it would seem logical that telecoms such as Verizon and AT&T, which benefit from their legitimate music offerings, would be leading the way in the initiative, such is not the case.

A Music Confidential investigation indicates that cable operators were the first of the “several leading ISPs” to seal the deals. The cable operators’ trade group, the National Cable & Telecommunications Assn. (NCTA), was right in the midst of it all. And Cuomo doesn’t intend to limit his appeal to those ISPs within New York." [MusicConfidential]

Pay backs for ringbacks
"After several years of uncertainty in Germany over who controls the right to license compositions for ringtones, the highest court in the country issued a ruling just before Christmas. The result is raising even more questions as ringtone providers, publishers and German collecting society GEMA try to figure out who is entitled to the millions of Euros at stake. Aside from the legal and monetary implications, the case serves as an alert to rights holders reminding them of the importance of reading society membership agreements closely, especially as they relate to ‘new ‘ technologies.

Germany is the only country where courts have recognized that a ringtone is an ‘adaptation’ of a recorded composition under copyright law. This triggers the right of writers and publishers to collect fees from users for engaging in three activities: the reproduction (aka the mechanical reproduction), the performance and the adaptation. GEMA had been licensing the mechanical and performance rights for ringtones, while many publishers were licensing separately – and directly to providers – the adaptation right. As a result, ringtone providers were obtaining a license from GEMA and licenses from many individual publishers – and paying both."[MusicConfidential]

EU Commission - 09/01/09

Cinema: EU film support goes global
"Today, the European Commission adopted a new MEDIA MUNDUS programme, a broad international cooperation programme for the audiovisual industry to strengthen cultural and commercial relations between Europe's film industry and film-makers of third countries. The EU will provide €15 million of funding from 2011-2013 for projects submitted by audiovisual professionals from the EU and third countries. Cooperation with the European film industry is in strong demand around the globe as shown by the initial success of the MEDIA International Preparatory Action under which the EU provided € 2 million of funding for 18 projects involving international partners (IP/08/1273). The new MEDIA MUNDUS programme will run from 2011-2013 and will capitalise on this growing interest and the opportunities offered by global cooperation of the audiovisual industry. It will increase consumer choice by bringing more culturally diverse products to European and international markets and will create new business opportunities for audiovisual professionals from Europe and around the globe." [Europa]

EU Council Monitor - 05/01/09

Launch Conference of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation
Venue: Senate of the Czech Republic, Prague
The aim of the European Year 2009 is to promote creativity and innovation as the key competence of all individuals. The European Year will be launched by an expert conference that will be opened with speeches by European Commissioners Ján Figeľ and Janez Potočnik, as well as Czech Ministers Ondřej Liška and Václav Jedlička. The tradition of declaring the European Year dates back to 1983, and the EU often chooses the themes together with the Council of Europe." [EU2009]

CZECH PRESIDENCY OF THE EU
New website now online [EU2009]

Czech Republic gets ready to assume EU presidency: Launch events planned in Prague and Brussels
"The Czech Republic will take over the presidency of the EU from France on 1 January, beginning a six month term in office. Although the Czechs will take charge when the EU institutions largely closed for the new year break, Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek and his team will face immediate challenges, not least the escalating crisis in Gaza.

The start of the Czech presidency will be marked by celebrations in Prague, where the city's giant metronome will be lit in EU colours at midnight on 31 December by Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra. There will be speeches on Czech television on 1 January by Topolánek, former president of the Czech republic Václav Havel, and leader of the opposition Jiří Paroubek. A video message will be broadcast from European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. There will also be a televised debate about the presidency, with anti-Lisbon Treaty campaigner Declan Ganley (whose Libertas Party has the support of Czech president Václav Klaus) among those expected to participate. The main launch event in Brussels - a gala ball - will take place on 30 January." [EuropeanVoice]

EU Public Affairs Monitor - 27/11/08

France votes for 'three strikes' filesharing law
The French senate has voted overwhelmingly in favour of Nicolas Sarkozy's anti-piracy legislation that offers illegal filesharers two warnings before cutting off their internet access

This week, as ever, it's one step forward and two steps back for the recording industry's anti-piracy legislation. Even as France seems poised to pass a new "three strikes" law against filesharers, lobbyists in Denmark have given up on the chance of passing similar legislation.

On Monday, the French senate voted 297 to 15 in favour of a law that penalises illegal filesharers by cutting off their internet access. Under the legislation, internet providers would be forced to act as watchdogs, monitoring their customers' internet traffic for signs of copyright infringement. Anyone caught illegally sharing music, movies or games would receive two warnings before having their account terminated. [Guardian]

Call for clampdown on rogue online ticket sellers October 27 2008
Ticketing websites have called on the government to crack down on rogue online operators after a spate of high-profile examples of consumers being ripped off. Andy Burnham, the culture secretary, is believed to be close to launching an industry consultation based around proposals first floated this year in response to concerns about the booming online market in tickets for concerts and sporting events. [Guardian]

Last.fm Asks UK "Hackers" To Help Extend Reach: Contest Offers £1000 Prize 2008.11.27
Last_fm Last.fm will host “Hack Day” on December 14th at Corbet Place Bar, East London. At the event which is hosted in partnership with CodePlex, Microsoft's open source project hosting web site, developers will be invited to utilize Last.fm’s free open source web services in a one-day competition to build a new Last.fm application. The winning developer will receive a grand prize of £1000, with additional prizes for the competition’s runners-up including Xbox 360s.Available since the site’s inception in 2002, Last.fm’s web services, which developers can use to extend the Last.fm experience beyond the site, have been utilized by third parties to create a host of music applications showcased at Build.Last.fm. One popular application, a mash-up titled “LastTube”, utilizes listener data from Last.fm to recommend YouTube video clips. [HypeBot]

Europe's cultural heritage goes digital 21 Nov 2008
Europe's heritage went digital on Thursday when the European Union launched an online library putting famous works such as Dante's Divine Comedy and Beethoven's 9th Symphony just a mouse click away.

Europeana gives multilingual access to two million digitised books and other items of cultural and historical significance held in more than 1,000 institutions in the 27 EU states. [ZDNet]

EU Parliament Monitor - 14/11/08

The Week Ahead 17-23 November 2008
Plenary Session – Strasbourg [Europa]

Arab week in pictures
"Arab and European politics and culture came together under the European Parliament's roof in Brussels this week, as relations between the two were discussed in a series of seminars on education, human rights and the price and future of oil.

Arabic culture was on display with exhibitions, a performance by folk groups from Bahrain and Arab calligraphy demonstrations

The events during 3-7 November took place as part of the European year of intercultural dialogue." [Europa]

EU Commission Monitor - 14/11/08

Intercultural Dialogue: a Challenge for faiths and convictions?
"Religious beliefs, philosophies and convictions are an integral part of cultural diversity which, through dialogue, can enrich our societies and contribute to individual fulfilment. But in our increasingly diverse cultural environments, the broad spectrum of faiths, beliefs and convictions can lead to misconceptions and fears. In the worst cases, people suffer the consequences of others' prejudice in the form of discrimination due to their conviction or religious belief.
Around 100 participants attended a conference organised today (read: 11th November) by the European Commission in the framework of the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, and as a follow-up to the 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. Three working sessions focused on challenges for education, the media, and dialogue between faiths and convictions. " [Dialogue]

EU Public Affairs Monitor - 24/10/08

IGC Consultations to Continue on Future Work Program
"The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr. Francis Gurry, and the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC), Ambassador Rigoberto Gauto Vielman of Paraguay, said they would pursue efforts in the coming weeks to bridge differences among member states on the way to move international negotiations forward. The IGC wrapped up its 13th meeting late in the evening of October 17, 2008 after attempts to hammer out compromise texts on the future work program faltered. Despite intense negotiations, delegations were not able to agree on the working procedures required to deliver the concrete outcomes that many have called for from this Committee. The IGC’s mandate calls upon it to accelerate its work, and expectations remain strong that the Committee should produce a significant outcome by the time it is required to report back to the WIPO General Assembly in September 2009." [WIPO]

EC Legal Affairs Committee set to debate term
"No fireworks are expected, but some industry executives are already blocking out early November in their diaries as the next critical date in the copyright term story. The EC’s Legal Affairs Committee (LAC) meets in Brussels on November 4 to discuss the issue, which has so far been exercising a number of working groups.

According to one insider, the LAC is then likely to draw up a draft report, which will be put before the European Parliament.
“The word from the working groups is that Holland and the UK are currently not supporting copyright term extension. But, if the UK is isolated, it will not insist on being difficult,” he says. Poland was also thought to be against the extension of term, but another source suggests its ministers are sitting on the fence.

Once the European Parliament has looked at the work done by the LAC – and made its own amendments and readings - it will be sent down to the European Council for policy making. But the source is worried that, with the EU presidency due to change next year, the timing is tight if the Parliament goes for a second reading. “I think we are talking about the Parliament working on it in January and February, but March is really the last month that Parliament can vote,” he adds." [MusicWeek]

New Comms Minister plans report on Digital Britain
"Our new Minister For Communications, Technology And Broadcasting, former OfCom chief Stephen Carter, has announced he has commissioned a report on 'Digital Britain' which will inform government on what role it should play in the ongoing development of the digital and communications industries.

The report comes as one key digital media platform - digital audio broadcasting - faces an uncertain future following the decision by Channel 4 to bail out of its ambitious plans to launch a second national DAB network, and past decisions by some of the major radio firms who were instrumental in setting DAB up in the first place to sell off or close down their digital-only stations. The BBC remains committed to DAB, and with internet capacity issues already a concern as more people start to use rich media services like BBC iPlayer, the wider radio sector is probably advised to continue investing in a digital radio system that doesn't rely on the internet for delivery. Though with ad revenues from digital services still somewhat less than the cost of operating them, and with ad budgets set to be even further slashed in the coming year, it's not surprising commercial radio chiefs have lost their enthusiasm for DAB. Carter will also have to consider what to do about internet piracy. Although the ISPs have this year reluctantly agreed to take a more proactive role in helping record companies distribute warnings to those who access illegal sources of music online, if the warnings campaign doesn't prove to be a success and the labels start to push the ISPs towards taking more extreme action against copyright infringers - maybe even the 'three strikes and then you're cut off' proposal being considered in France - then they may need the government to come good on their promises to legislate in this area, and Carter may have to oversee that." [CMUDaily]

French Culture Minister Launches Cultural Independents Conference
"French minister of culture Christine Albanel has launched the "Arenes europeennes de l'independence" (European Arena Of Independence), a two-day conference session gathering European independent companies from the cultural field - mainly music, cinema and literature. The event will take place in Paris on Oct. 23 and 24.

"Creation is largely supported by independent companies," said Albanel, "which are largely impacted by online piracy." Albanel stressed that independent companies release 80% of new music records in France and generate 44% of the recorded market revenue and 67% of the industry jobs.

Albanel named several measures taken by her ministry during the past 18 months to support the recording industry, namely a €12 million ($15.7 million) tax-credit scheme allowing record companies to offset part of their investments on new records and a dedicated advance fund to help record companies borrow money.
"We need to go further," she added, in terms of financing and distribution. Albanel also reminded her audience about the importance of the EU to preserve fair market conditions and to rule on a more consistent VAT scheme for online cultural business."" [Billboard]

EU Parliament Monitor - 24/10/08

MEPs approve new EU trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton (UK)
"The European Parliament voted 538 in favour, 40 against and 63 abstentions in favour of new EU trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton from the UK. Baroness Ashton faced a hearing at the European Parliament on Monday. She has been nominated to replace Peter Mandelson as Trade Commissioner following his appointment to the British government. MEPs questioned Baroness Ashton on the future of the Doha Round, the financial crisis, bilateral trade negotiations - and on her own experience.

Baroness Ashton will be Commissioner until the end of the current Commission's mandate - 31 October 2009." [Europa]

Summary of the hearing of Catherine Ashton (United Kingdom), Commissioner-designate for Trade
"Commissioner-designate Catherine Ashton faced a hearing at the European Parliament on Monday. She has been nominated to replace Peter Mandelson as Trade Commissioner following his appointment to the British government. MEPs questioned Baroness Ashton on the future of the Doha Round, the financial crisis, bilateral trade negotiations - and on her own experience. The outcome will be considered on Tuesday by the Conference of Presidents, with the full Parliament due to vote on Wednesday." [Europa]

Ashton wins emphatic endorsement from MEPs
MEPs back the new trade commissioner; Ashton wants better co-ordination of trade policy.
Members of the European Parliament yesterday (22 October) endorsed the appointment of Catherine Ashton as the European commissioner for trade. MEPs voted 538 in favour, 40 against, with 63 abstentions during their meeting in Strasbourg. From there, Ashton went directly to Geneva for a dinner with Pascal Lamy, the director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to discuss the prospects of reviving the Doha round of world trade talks.
Ashton had told MEPs on Monday evening (20 October), at a scrutiny hearing, that she would be assuring Lamy that “the WTO and pursuing a successful Doha round remain absolutely central to Europe's trade policy”. [EuropeanVoice]

EU parliament formally approves new trade commissioner
"MEPs have formally endorsed the appointment of Catherine Ashton as the EU’s new trade commissioner.
Deputies meeting in Strasbourg on Wednesday voted 538 in favour of her appointment, with 40 against and 63 abstentions. She replaces Peter Mandelson, who stepped down after four years in the job to become the new business secretary in the UK. Ashton faced a hearing in parliament on Monday in which is she is generally thought to have given a good account of her grasp of the notoriously difficult trade portfolio.She was also questioned on the future of the Doha round, the financial crisis and bilateral trade negotiations.

The conference of presidents, or group leaders, endorsed her appointment on Tuesday ahead of today’s vote by the full parliament." [TheParliament]

Alliance of Civilisations: Jorge Sampaio addresses MEPs
"Building bridges and altering misguided perceptions of other cultures are crucial in a globalised world, according Jorge Sampaio, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations and a former President of Portugal, who addressed a formal sitting of the EP on Wednesday on the subject of cultural diversity, in a speech given as part of the EP's series of guest speeches for Year of Intercultural Dialogue.

In his introduction, the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, stressed the shared outlook between the UN Alliance of Civilisations and the EP, with their emphasis on the importance of cultural interaction, and argued that there was a need in the modern world for practical not just symbolic steps on this front, such as the many projects the EP had supported in the context of Year of Intercultural Dialogue.

At the start of his address, Mr Sampaio read out a short statement on behalf of the UN Secretary General, which said that "Like many other regions of the world, Europe faces multiple challenges in promoting intercultural dialogue. Migration, economic uncertainty and political tensions are putting strains on relations between different cultural, ethnic and religious groups. But it is precisely in your region, where constructive contacts over the centuries have allowed humanity to take major leaps forward, that opportunities for reconciliation and cooperation exist." Ultimately, "Cross-cultural tolerance, dialogue, respect and understanding must be pillars of the better world we are trying to build."" [Europa]

Row flares over EU commission's link with business group
"A furious row has flared over allegations of an “intimate” relationship between the commission’s trade directorate and the organisation representing European SMEs. It follows claims by a left-wing Swedish MEP of a possible conflict of interest between the influential directorate and Businesseurope. GUE/NGL member Jens Holm sets out his allegations in a letter to new EU trade commissioner Catherine Ashton.

But Philippe De Buck, director general of Businesseurope, hit back on Thursday, telling this website, “What is the problem?
“Yes, we have a close relationship with DG trade – they need us but, equally, we need them. I make no secret of that.
“However, I want to stress that all dealings between my organisation and the commission are done openly, publicly and transparently, and I object to these comments,” said De Buck, formerly the organisation’s secretary general." [TheParliament]

Click here to read the European Parliament Monitor

Notes On Belgium: “Erasmus in Retrospect – an Academic and Cultural Experience”

Studying on the Masters in International Business course at Vlekho, Brussels as part of my Erasmus year abroad was highly important to my development both academically, culturally and as a person in general. Through facing new challenges in a foreign country and overcoming them through the assistance of new friends from various cultures I have acquired new perspectives on life and a new found strength.

Nervous about my understanding of French I studied in Belgium because of its English courses, offering me a safety net of learning as I feared not being able to follow courses in French effectively enough. This had unforeseen consequences, as I was obliged to study over half of my courses at masters level. On top of that, seeing as I normally study Economics and Politics at Exeter University the majority of these courses at this Belgian business school were fresh to me. I had a great opportunity to learn courses taking ins Accounting, Finance and Law.

In Exeter, England my courses would be more complex, with time given to wrestle academically in order to reach a more complete view of the world. Vlekho was different, as the demanding number of courses forced me to learn the essential pieces of information quickly, understand and then explain to others. As a result I now have a broader base and am able to act more pragmatically. Crucially, the emulation of the working environment at Vlekho has resulted in me having a greater understanding of what is expected of me when I graduate and I have managed to iron out some of my flaws in a safe learning environment, rather than during my first job after graduation.

One of my greatest challenges at Vlekho was cultural. English education is very individualist compared to my Belgian experience, as in England students work alongside each other, whereas in my Belgian business school they worked together. Previously I had been used to working with groups in societies but there position or rank would engineer a hierarchical framework with which I could effectively work. In Vlekho’s more collective climate my honest intentions to work hard and get the best results produced unexpected responses which often affected my relationships with colleagues. For example, in my first group my desire to raise the collective group grade made me unpopular, as my attitude alienated my team members. As a result even though the group had managed to scrape a reasonable grade as a consequence of me dragging it kicking and screaming I failed as my peer evaluation was negative. I had to examine myself after that incident and although not perfect I feel that I have developed considerably through the advice of teaching staff, friends and personal meditation.

Despite these troubles I had a very enjoyable period studying there. Having been the only English student at the business school for a number of years there was a deal of interest in me, especially as England appears to be one of the countries that the Belgians like the most. The interest and hospitality shown to me makes it very unfortunate that Belgium is ignored by people from Britain when considering where to go or visit.. I'm convinced that next years group of six English students will not get as strong an impression of the country or other cultures compared to me, as I was the only person that most people from Brussels knew from England. As a result, I was their sole point of contact for cultural discussions regarding Britain and people seemed highly interested to talk to me, if only to improve their English from a native speaker!

Although not unique for their appetite the Belgian’s enthusiasm for learning languages and cultures was humbling. Their attitude that everybody should speak over two languages and converse in the other person’s language, if possible was incredible to witness. I think the strongest example of the attitude was witnessing a beggar outside an expensive shopping arcade would listen out for the language and then beg to them in their tongue. I managed to him speak at least four languages to the passers by in just a couple of minutes.

Despite struggling to learn French throughout my life I was determined to learn as much of the language as possible. Consequentially I tried always trying to start in French. However, I would constantly get replies in English as a result of my poor language skills, friendliness or the desire to practice their English with a native speaker. I judged my language development by the increasing frequency and complexity of French development. I predominantly learnt my language from an Italian friend who couldn’t speak any English and no desire to learn it and the fact I was living in a Moroccan and Turkish ghetto (Scaerbeck), where English was not usually understood so well.

People usually had negative opinions towards my area, citing the poverty, high crime levels and intolerance of the Arabs residing there. I didn’t see that, especially as coming from London I had experienced worse. I had also fallen in love with the cultural contrast, as I felt like I was stepping into a completely new city when I made my way home from the centre of town. It was interesting to see the limits of people’s tolerance, as despite being a very international city there had not been enough development in my opinion to accommodate, respect and live alongside people beyond European borders, who I had grown to admire more and more despite the poor economic and social advantages that they are currently experiencing.

I was the first non Belgian or Dutch person to work in my student bar, a Flemish outpost in the ghetto which I was living in. It was an honour to be able to spend so much time with them rather than work in some O’Reiley’s in town serving pints to English tourists. As a result, I improved my understanding of the Flemish culture and language significantly, being able to serve customers speaking in their tongue. Although not being able to converse I feel confident enough to learn Flemish, Dutch or German relatively well in the future, as the many hours of hearing the customers has enabled me to differentiate words and pronounce relatively well, despite not necessarily knowing what was being said.

It was interesting observe cultural traits firsthand. One of then was the seeming confidence of the Flemish as a people, with the northern, Flemish part of the country developing economically and socially successful. On the other hand they felt increasingly disenfranchised with their city (Brussels) becoming increasingly Wallon (the French speaking, south Belgian region), as slower economic growth in the south encouraged migration to the capital city, as well as the majority of immigrants being Francophone, rather than Flemish speaking. I felt that Flemish people didn’t feel like Brussels was their city any longer and more a place that they would commute to from Antwerp or Ghent in order to work. As a result there was the feeling of entrenchment and that they needed to keep bars like theirs Flemish.

A couple of the older regulars held strong opinions on the Moroccans and Turks who ventured in from time to time to drink at our bar. These were often people who merely wanted one or two drinks but who were instantly marked out by some customers or barmen as being suspicious. I ignored such misgivings as their communities had enamoured myself to them. The response from trusting and being courteous to people who others would ignored was positive for me, with these people sharing insights and views of what prejudices they experience and what they like about their home culture. I also made friends with Moroccan neighbours in my building, who would show me all the best places to eat out in Scaerbeck. As a result of not just restricting my cultural exchanges to fellow students or Belgians I have gained tremendously compared to people who erect barriers to discussion. This is a belief that I hope to maintain and I will be able to use personal experiences to shoot down peoples prejudices in the future.

Before I spent my year living in Belgium my viewpoint was restricted to what I had experienced in London and Exeter and from visiting my Irish relatives. I don’t consider my Belgian experience to have ended but ongoing. Being offered a unique opportunity to develop in a new cultural and academic environment has shown me new viewpoints and enable me to develop a better perspective of the world. Academically I had the unique opportunity to work with groups from all around the world on courses I never assumed I would be taking in life. I'm convinced that this experience has done me only good and as given me the confidence to live in Belgium or anywhere in the world that I choose.

This piece was written by Jonathan McHugh in October 2006

Hofstede’s Analytical Framework

The backbone of Hofstede’s work is that culture mentally programs everybody, both consciously and unconsciously, with society forming peoples values as a result of symbols (words, gestures, pictures, or objects), heroes (people living or not highly prized in a culture) and rituals (unnecessary collective activities carried out for their own sake. Presented in the form of an “Onion” (below), which shows the interrelationship and the steps that form values and how each group is visible (the furthest away from the centre).

From research in the 1970s on cross cultural differences among IBM’s global network of employees Hofstede developed his five dimensions of High vs Low Power Distance, Individualism vs Collectivism, Masculinity vs Feminism, High vs Low Uncertainty and Long vs Short Term orientation in order to help differentiate national characteristics.

High vs Low Power Distance

Country Score Rank

France 68 27 – 29

Belgium Walloon 67 30 – 31

Belgium Flemish 61 39 - 40

Spain 56 45 – 46

Netherlands 38 61

Germany 35 63 – 65

Great Britain 35 63 - 65

The dimension of High vs Low Power Distance has been able to differentiate between countries desire for either highly regarded figures, whether private, public or communal or the ability to question authority and expect more from them.

Individualism vs Collectivism

Country Score Rank

Great Britain 89 3

Netherlands 80 4 – 6

Belgium Flemish 78 8

Belgium Walloon 72 12

France 71 13 – 14

Germany 67 18

Spain 51 30

Individualism vs Collectivism highlights how people and groupings prioritize themselves, with individualist countries favouring personal ambition, whereas collectivists put a greater emphasis on group priority. This enables analysis as to why America is more individualist compared to Japan and offer ways to deal with this.

Masculinity vs Feminity

Country Score Rank

Germany 66 11 – 13

Great Britain 66 11 – 13

Belgian Walloon 60 21

Belgian Flemish 43 47 – 50

France 43 47 – 50

Netherlands 14 72

Masculinity is described as a method of achieving results no matter what the costs, whereas Femininity is the belief in allowing other things to be prioritized in society than material gain. With this tool the book was able to detail why masculine countries such as the USA had such an aggressive form of capitalism and countries such as Sweden prefer a more caring welfare state.

High vs Low Uncertainty

Country Score Rank

Belgian Flemish 97 5

Belgian Walloon 93 9 – 10

France 86 17 -22

Spain 86 17 -22

Germany 65 43

Netherlands 53 53

Great Britain 35 66 -67

High verses Low uncertainty countries responses to events and groups of people were considered to be highly different as a result of differing needs for stability and fear of unknown groups or events. Hofestede’s analysis was used to justify situations such as why it may have been possible for racism in Germany in the 1930s and a low amount of laws in relaxed countries such as Australia.

Short vs Long Term Orientation

Country Score Rank

Netherlands 44 13 -14

France 39 19

Belgium total 38 20 – 21

Germany 31 25 – 27

Great Britain 25 32 – 33

Spain 19 35 – 36

The fifth dimension, Short vs Long Term Orientation describes how and why some cultures have their eye on the future, such as China, whereas countries such as the United States are very much focused on the now. This assumption is used to justify policies ranging from why Americans do not save enough to factors underlining what people desire from relationships.

Extracted and summarised by Jonathan McHugh in July 2006 from:

Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind

Geert Hofstede and Gert Jan Hofstede

McGraw-Hill 2005