assessment of the impact of COVID‐19 on the cultural and creative sectors in the EU’s partner countries, policy responses and their implications for international cultural relations

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted economies, societies and political systems worldwide. Culture as a sector and international cultural relations have not been exempted either. The social, political and economic characteristics of the pandemic also have had deep implications for culture and its role in international relations. Preliminary evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on the cultural and creative sectors (CCS) in partner countries – the Neighbourhoods, the Western Balkans, and the Strategic partners – and on their capacity and willingness to conduct international relations (IR), together with an overall analysis of the policy responses put in place by state and non-state actors to limit such an impact, are provided in this report