EUNIC is a network of the international cultural relations institutes from the member states of the European Union. EUNIC Berlin consists of 14 European cultural institutes, cultural representatives of EU embassies as well as associated members who meet up regularly to discuss matters of common interest. The European Union National Institutes for Culture use existing European structures to work together and promote joint initiatives.

EUNIC seeks to facilitate cultural co-operation, to create lasting partnerships between professionals, to encourage greater understanding and awareness of the diverse European cultures and to encourage greater language learning. A central aspiration is to overcome divisions, to focus on our common European roots and to celebrate Europe’s richness and diversity of culture, arts and language.

An association of European cultural institutes in Berlin - GEK (Gemeinschaft der europäischen Kulturinstitute in Berlin) - was founded in 2003. It emerged from a collaborative fringe event at the 2002 exhibition “Greek Classical Age: Idea and Reality” in the Martin-Gropius-Bau museum. In May 2003, GEK held a symposium in the German Foreign Ministry on the European perspective on cultural politics entitled “u.A.w.g.“ In 2006 and 2007 the European cultural institutes held an Open Day in Berlin.

During the same period, the European Union started to create partnerships between public organisations working in international cultural relations and cooperation under the umbrella of the “European Union National Institutes for Culture“ (EUNIC). In 2006, GEK joined the EUNIC network and changed its name to EUNIC Berlin.

Gréasán is ea EUNIC a chuimsíonn na forais um chaidreamh idirnáisiúnta cultúir as ballstáit an Aontais Eorpaigh.  Tá 14 forais chultúir eorpach i EUNIC Berlin, maille le oifigigh chultúir de chuid ambasáidí na mballstát agus comhpháirtithe a chruinníonn le chéile go tráthrialta chun téamaí comhspéise a phlé. Baineann EUNIC úsáid as na struchtúir atá ann san Eoraip chun oibriú i gcomhar le chéile agus tionscnaimh chomhpháirteacha a chur chun cinn.

 

Féachann EUNIC leis an comhoibriú a chothú i gcúrsaí cultúir, buanpháirtíocht a bhunú i measc lucht gairme, tuiscint agus eolas níos mó ar na cultúir éagsúla san Eoraip a chothú agus foghlaim na dteangacha a spreagadh.   Tá sé mar ardmhian aige an siosma a shárú, díriú isteach ar na préamhacha comhchoiteann san Eoraip agus saibhreas agus éagsúlacht na hEorpa i gcúrsaí cultúir, ealaíon agus teanga a cheiliúradh.

 

Bunaíodh comhlachas foras cultúir eorpacha i mBerlin sa bhliain 2003 – GEK (Gemeinschaft der europaischen Kulturinstitute in Berlin).  D’fhás sé as ócáid comhoibre ar imeall an taispeántais “Ré Clasaiceach na Gréige: An Idé agus an Nithiúlacht” i músaem Martin-Gropius-Bau i 2002.   

D’eagraigh GEK siompóisiam i mí Bealtaine 2003 i roinn gnóthaí eachtracha na Gearmáine ar an dearcadh eorpach ar pholaitíocht an chultúir faoin teideal “u.A.w.g.”   Bhí “Lá Oscailte” i mBerlin i 2006 agus 2007 ag na forais chultúir eorpacha.

 

Thosaigh an tAontas Eorpach sa tréimhse céanna ar pháirtíocht a chruthú idir eagraíochta poiblí a bhí ag obair i gcúrsaí caidreamh cultúir idirnáisiúnta faoi scáth an EUNIC.  Tháinig an GEK isteach i ngréasán EUNIC sa bhliain 2006 agus ghlac an t-ainm EUNIC Berlin.