The place of cultural policy in the social and political processes of the European Union

The purpose of the article is to study the specifics, place, and role of cultural policy both at the level of the European Union and its member states. The research methodology is based on the integrated use of general scientific and special-applied methods, namely: analysis and synthesis, historical and cultural analysis, analogy, and comparison. The scientific novelty lies in the analysis of the legal framework that determines the direction and mechanism of cultural policy implementation within the EU. The article studies some European countries’ experience in the implementation of their cultural policy, clarifies their strengths and weaknesses. Conclusions. On the basis of the conducted analysis, there are defined preconditions that will promote strengthening of the cultural policy’s strategic role in the economic, political, and social development of Ukraine. Ukraine has all the necessary conditions for the development of the cultural sphere and the implementation of effective cultural policy, but at the same time the lack of understanding of the importance and role that culture can play in increasing the kindness of citizens, or resolving political conflicts, slows down these processes.