The European Commission has published the report on the implementation of the Culture 2000 programme last 29 april 2008 in the document COM(2008) 231 final.

The programme aimed at contributing to the promotion of a cultural area common to Europe's peoples by supporting cooperation activities among artists, cultural operators, private and public promoters and cultural networks.

These activities had to contribute, or be capable of contributing, to attain the following objectives:

• Promoting cultural dialogue and mutual knowledge of European peoples
• Promoting creativity and transnational dissemination of culture, with a strong emphasis on young and socially disadvantaged people and on cultural diversity
• Highlighting of cultural diversity and development of new forms of cultural expression
• Sharing of the common cultural heritage of European significance
• Taking into account culture's role in socioeconomic development
• Fostering intercultural dialogue and mutual exchange between European and non-European cultures
• Recognising culture as an economic factor as well as a factor in citizenship and social integration
• Improving EU citizens' access and participation in cultural activities

External evaluation was based on the framework service contract n° EAC/03/06 done it by ECOTEC Ltd.
 
Main conclusions were as follows:

• The Commission shares the evaluator's overall assessment that the programme has provided a stimulus to cross-border cultural cooperation and encouraged more outward-looking approaches, resulting in a unique contribution to the promotion of a cultural area common to the peoples of Europe.
• It clearly results from this final evaluation that Culture 2000 has appropriately implemented Community action in the cultural field as foreseen in article 151 of the Treaty and has met its objectives as set out in the Decision.
• More than 1,500 grants were awarded to cultural operators under the programme's actions for the 2000-2006 period, with grant payments in excess of 190 Mio EUR.
• The evaluator's conclusions show that, even if there is room for improvement in some areas, participants have nevertheless proved to be satisfied with the programme and recognise its European added value.
• The Commission has greatly intensified consultation with the cultural sector and is paying close attention to the views expressed by stakeholders within this process and which are echoed in this evaluation report.
• Building on the experience of Culture 2000, many new features and improvements have already been integrated in the current Culture programme for the period 2007-2013. Others are underway and will mostly be implemented in the course of 2008.
• The Commission will take the results of this evaluation into account in the long run, when preparing the new generation of Community programmes in the field of culture for the period after 2013.