Cultural diversity within framework of European Union cultural policies

Common cultural heritage and cultural diversity have an important role in the cultural policy, which shows latedeveloping than other policy areas in the European Union. Since the 1970s, the decision made by European Union law, cultural diversity gained an important momentum in the European Union in parallel with lots of international organizations in the 2000s. Cultural diversity started to take place in European Union documents as well, as cultural policy took its place in European Union documents as a separate title with the Maastricht Treaty. The economic, social and political functions of cultural diversity have also had an important place in policy areas other than European Cultural policy. With the cultural diversity, employment development, welfare, social peace, democracy and human rights has been associated. Its economic dimension has been given importance by the European Union institutions. Cultural diversity has been a remarkable concept for the European Union with wide ranging expansion wave in 2004. The slogan of "United in Diversity"shows the importance given to the cultural diversity of the European Union common cultural heritage. The European Union continues to support cultural diversity with work plans and programs related to cultural policy. Audio, visual, media and education policies are important mediators for the developments of cultural diversity. In both policies related to main documents and programs are targetted to stimulating and developing the cultural diversity which is in coordination with the cultural policy. Developing and protecting the expression of cultural diversity forms one of the main basics of European Union media politics. European Union supported to the development of cultural diversity via international agreements with its member states. Cultural diversity is a candidate to be one of the main subjects of many issues discussed in the European Union especially the possible developing process, democracy gap, European identity and the future of the European Union.