Towards a methodology to conceptualize the EU-funded projects impact on cultural sector

Abstract

In the new European economy, European Commission provides funding for a broad range of projects and programs covering a great range of areas, as regional development, employment & social inclusion, Research & Innovation, etc. A key-sector of the EU economy is Cultural Sector, gathering great European funds with central scope relative to creativity and creative economy as well as a cultureled local and regional development, always respecting the cultural environment and needs of the Member States. Even the European funding could cover the expectations of the EUmembers for cultural extroversion, a significant parameter which should be taken into consideration and is related to the performance of those funds. Paying a greater focus on results, is showing us that projects on cultural sector – getting funds by EU resources, are linked to the impact created. But the difficulties in categorizing grants data in Culture terms, is not giving us a well-defined approach regarding the Culture investment of EC and its members. Through this work is proposed a way to conceptualize and measure the EU-funded projects performance and the impact those create, using the indicators approach, but not only through a statistical approach, otherwise using a more conceptual analysis.