The EMC - European Music Council is the leading professional music organization in Europe which has as its members all the National Music Councils with registered office in that continent. Relations between the National Music Councils and the EMC are based on reciprocal exchange and collaboration for the purpose of supporting and presenting music policies to the European institutions and to the European world of culture.
Right from the establishment of the European Union a strong need was felt to guarantee the world of music in Europe adequate representation, and for this reason the EMC - European Music Council UNESCO was set up. The EMC is responsible for meeting the requirements of the European-based National Music Councils and is the ideal medium for the circulation of information and practical experiences in the field of music and of European music policies.
The EMC - European Music Council is a non-profit-making organization engaged in the development and promotion of every genre of music in Europe. It comprises a network of representatives of the National Music Councils and of the European organizations which operate in all the sectors of music, from learning to composition, from performance to cultural heritage.
The “European Regional Group” of IMC was formed in 1972 and renamed European Music Council in 1992; since March 2003 it has been registered under German law as a separate association. One of the principal aims of the EMC is to contribute to a better understanding between nations and their diverse cultures, above all in the field of music, supporting the right of these cultures to co-exist on an equal footing through cooperation and mutual exchange.
The EMC is of exceptional value to its members: it provides them with the possibility of promoting initiatives and, at the same time, creates networks of communication and contact, supporting and augmenting the visibility of initiatives directed at furthering the participation of the public in music and cultural life. Through the WGY - Working Group Youth , the EMC encourages the participation of the young in decision-making processes.
In line with the principles expressed in the IMC Statutes, the EMC contributes to ensuring the application and respect of the following cultural rights:
- the right for all children and adults to express themselves musically in all freedom;
- the right for all children and adults to learn musical languages and skills;
- the right for all children and adults to have access to musical involvement through participation, listening, creation and information;
- the right for musical artists to develop their artistry and communicate through all media, with proper facilities at their disposal;
- the right for musical artists to obtain just recognition and remuneration for their work.
The members of the EMC from 29 nations can be divided into three categories:
- National Music Councils of 20 nations representing the music sector of their country (including nations not belonging to the European Union like Azerbaijan and Israel) which coordinate the different types of music organization at national and local level;
- 38 international organizations, operating in a specific field of music and characterized by top-level specialization and experience in their particular sector, which coordinate similar national and local organizations;
- 16 music organizations, specialised in a specific sector of music and characterized by outstanding experience in their field of activity, which have regular dealings with the authorities of the nation or the region in which they are located.
The EMC represents the world of music in Europe with European and national political bodies, transmitting information to its members on the development of cultural policies. The EMC promotes every genre of music, supports the activity of its members and coordinates projects of European collaboration (for instance, ExTra! Exchange Traditions financed by the European Union for the period 2006-2009).
The EMC not only represents European musical life at international level, but more generally the cultural life of Europe. It is a member of the European cultural network Culture Action Europe .
Committed to the support and implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Tutelage and Promotion of Cultural Expression Diversity through a specifically formed work group, the EMC also has a particularly important role in the Rainbow Platform for Intercultural Dialogue and in 2008 contributed to the drafting of the Rainbow Paper . Through the ExTra! Exchange Traditions project , the EMC aims at promoting the exchange of musical traditions in Europe – with particular attention to the traditions of migratory cultures and of the minorities, backing the Access to Music conferences and encouraging intercultural dialogue.
With the EFMET - European Forum for Music Education & Training project , the EMC has created a point of exchange between formal and informal methods of music education for the purpose of improving music education at all levels (from childhood to school age, to specialization and music in unison). During the annual conference Access to Music: new prospects in distribution, education and music policies held at Brno (Czech Republic) in April 2008, Vladimir Sucha (Director of the Cultural, Multilingual and Communication Committee of the European Commission) presented the European Cultural Agenda together with the future steps to be taken in its realization.
The European Cultural Agenda represents an attempt to define the role of culture within the European Union. Thanks to the Agenda it is hoped to set up new forms of collaboration and communication and, by so doing, implement a formal dialogue between European political institutions (European Commission, Member States, European Parliament) and civil society.
CIDIM, as member of the EMC, has sent representatives to take part in the more important moments of the associative life of the Council ever since the latter was designated “European Regional Group” in 1972, and in particular at conferences and general assemblies: for instance, the conferences organized in collaboration with Mediacult . Also worth mention has been the close collaboration with other European National Music Councils in promoting the circulation of young musicians and in the recent research on the history and activity of the National Music Councils of Europe.