The moto of the European Union – united in diversity – expresses EU wish to safeguard its wealthy cultural and linguistic diversity and substantiates the duty for each member state to follow this aim and to preserve the unique culture and language of each EU member state.

EU culture policy is based on The Treaty of Amsterdam which was signed on 2 October 1997 and entered into force on 1 May 1999. It amended and renumbered previous Treaties with an aim to preserve legal capacity of the EU after its enlargement in 2004.

EU promotes the cooperation among its member states in the field of culture and supports their initiatives, but does not require harmonization of their cultural policies.

EU strives to introduce the prominent values of European culture to the inhabitants of the member states. EU consistently protects the principle of the cultural exception which allows the member states to interfere in the regulation of cultural market with an aim to preserve the cultural diversity and heritage. The main cultural instruments for implementation of cultural policy in the EU are support programs and common initiatives in all fields of culture.