Amendments to the Law on Culture in 2020

In January 2020, the amendments to the Law on Culture (Official Gazette of the RS, issue 6/2020) were adopted, focusing on cultural and creative sectors, i.e. the domain of digital environment, the transversal character of culture, international cooperation and support for independent artists. The following key points were introduced into the framework of the General Interest in Culture: • Protecting and improving cultural diversity and strengthening intercultural dialogue • Strengthening the capacities of culture and its connections to other fields (education, science, tourism, foreign affairs, youth, and others), and integrating cultural development into a long-term socio-economic and political development of a democratic society • Encouraging international development and exchange in the field of culture, as well as mobility of artists, and adopting good practices in order to stimulate cultural agents’ creativity and innovation • Using information and communication technologies and building a network of cultural institutions and other subjects in culture (Article 3, paragraphs 6, 7, 14, 15 of the Law on Culture) The importance of applying digital tools and frameworks within the segment of cultural industries was recognized, so the Law on Amendments to the Law on Culture included the use of information and communication technologies in cultural industries among 15 prioritized cultural activities (Article 8, paragraph 15 of the Law on Culture)