Starting point for this study is Jean Monnet’s famous reference that the process of European integration should have started from the cultural point of view rather than the economic, legislative and legal one. The thesis aims to examine the development of the European cultural policy and the issue of the European identity. The study has benefitted both from qualitative (literature research) and quantitative analysis (examination of Eurobarometer results). For the purpose of approaching developments in EU cultural policy the analysis considers the following parameters: - how the definition of "culture" has evolved in Europe, - the Cultural Policy in Greece in comparison to its evolution on the EU level, - the definitions of the notion of "nation", "citizenship", "nationality" and "national identity", - the role of the economy in the development of the European cultural policy, particularly during the current period of crisis, -the National identities and the "European identity" (characteristics and elements of its configuration) - the European public opinion. In conclusion, the thesis argues on the need to create an exclusive body of policy and policy initiatives that will support the formulation of cultural policy in Europe. A policy that would raise not only the awareness about the role and the work of the European institutions, but also the awareness on the importance of the European identity as an element of convergence for the Member States, particularly during the current period of the economic crisis.