The Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends is a web-based and permanently updated information and monitoring system of national cultural policies and related development. Compendium cultural policy country profiles are mainly drawn up and updated by independent cultural policy experts (i.e. 'expert authors'), in consultation with respective ministries.

The Compendium seeks to generate and review policy standards in areas of concern to governments and society, by providing data, information, knowledge, comparative and trend analyses, expertise, advice and case studies. The country profiles provide information on the historical development, present structure, legal framework, financial aspects and ongoing debates in cultural policies and trends. New indicators are constantly introduced to regularly monitor policy developments in Europe.