Global Trade issues and Cultural Exception

Abstract

Cultural exception has always been a key element in the French political and cultural field. It isbased on the principle that culture is not like any other merchandise because it goes beyond thecommercial. During the negotiations of the Uruguay Round (1986-1994) the United States offeredto liberalize cultural goods and services. Due to the sensitive nature of the cultural industries, theEuropean Union led by France refused to make an offer of liberalization on these fields. Afterheated debates between the United States and the European Union, cultural exception has finallybecome a global issue since 2005. On 20 October, the UNESCO convention on cultural diversitywas voted by 148 countries to two (The United States and Israel) to legally and globally recognizethe specific nature of cultural goods and services in the liberalization process.

Keywords

• globalization
• cultural exception
• cultural industries
• audiovisual services
• liberalization
• international negotiations
• transatlantic relations.