Legal provisions of COM(2007)242 - European agenda for culture in a globalizing world - Main contents

Please note

This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.

dossier	COM(2007)242 - European agenda for culture in a globalizing world.
document	COM(2007)242
date	January 1, 1945

10.6.2008

Official Journal of the European Union

C 143/9

Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on the Work Plan for Culture 2008-2010

(2008/C 143/06)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

1.	Recalling the objectives assigned to the European Community in the field of culture by Article 151 of the Treaty establishing the European Community.

Acknowledging that the first Council Work Plan for Culture 2002-2004 was an important step towards more structured working procedures, and that the second Work Plan for Culture 2005-2006, which was extended until the end of 2007, has further strengthened the aspiration towards a practical, focused and result-oriented approach.

3.	Having regard to the Commission's Communication of 10 May 2007 on a European Agenda for Culture in a Globalizing World (1) that represents an important step towards further developing cooperation in the cultural field and increasing the coherence and visibility of European action in this field.

4.	Having regard to the Council Resolution of 16 November 2007 on a European Agenda for Culture (2) endorsing priority areas of action for the period 2008-2010 in the context of the strategic objectives of the European Agenda for Culture.

5.	Having regard to the introduction of the open method of coordination by the Council Resolution of 16 November 2007 as an overall new way of cooperation in the field of culture that provides a flexible and non-binding framework and fosters exchanges of best practices.

6.	Having regard to the five priority areas of action as defined in the above Council Resolution, which should guide the setting of policy priorities for the period of 2008-2010, while fully respecting the prerogatives of the European Commission.

AGREE:

—	to pursue under each priority area the activities listed in Annex I, which can be reviewed in order to better focus on concrete results,

—	to establish working groups composed of experts from Member States on the basis of the principles and mandates defined in Annex I and II and to follow their work,

—	to invite each Presidency to build on the achievements of the Work Plan as well as to report on the implementation of the latter,

—	to invite the Member States and the Commission to regularly consult the stakeholders regarding the implementation of the Work Plan to ensure the relevance and visibility of the activities,

—	to invite the Commission, in consultation with and on the basis of voluntary contributions from Member States, to report on developments both at mid-term and at the end of the period covered by the Work Plan.

WELCOME:

The intention of the Commission to support Member States' actions in implementing the Work Plan as set out in Annex I.

(1) Doc. 9496/07 and ADD 1.

(2) OJ C 287, 29.11.2007, p. 1.

ANNEX I

WORK PLAN FOR CULTURE 2008-2010

Priority 1: Improving the conditions for the mobility of artists and other professionals in the cultural field

Initiatives

Time frame

Objectives

Member States:

Setting up a working group on the mobility of artists and other professionals in the cultural field comprising MS' experts (1)

March 2008 to end 2010 (about 3 meetings a year)

Focussing particularly on the mobility of artists and other cultural professionals, inter alia in the field of performing arts, this working group will consider, report and make recommendations (including in the form of validating best practices, making proposals for cooperation initiatives between Member States or at EC level and for elements of methodology to evaluate progress), as appropriate, on the following areas:

—	mapping the existing practices in each Member State in order to make it possible to suggest ways of improving the regulatory conditions and related administrative processes for mobility,

—	suggesting solutions at the national and Community levels regarding the inclusion of mobility (in and outside Europe) in the professional training curricula of artists and culture professionals,

—	ensuring the collection of and access to the relevant information on the conditions for mobility in Europe (tax, social, entry and residence conditions in different Member States),

—	reinforcing regional, national and Community-level support mechanisms for mobility and ensuring their complementarity

Commission:

Study on the mobility of cultural workers in Europe

October 2008

Provide overview and typology of existing mobility schemes for cultural workers at national/regional and local level in the EU Member States, analyse their impact and efficiency and potential gaps, and make recommendations on ways to enhance support to mobility at EU level.

Feasibility study for a comprehensive scheme designed to provide a European wide system of information on mobility in the cultural sector

Phase I (Interim report: mapping of existing schemes), October 2008

Phase II (Final report: recommendations), end 2008

Provide overview of existing information schemes on legal, regulatory, procedural and financial aspects to mobility at national level, analyse potential gaps, and make recommendations for a comprehensive information system at European level

Priority 2: Promoting access to culture, in particular through the promotion of cultural heritage, multilingualism, digitisation, cultural tourism, synergies with education, especially art education, and greater mobility of collections

Initiatives

Time frame

Objectives

Mobility of collections

Member States:

Setting up a working group for the mobility of collections and activities of museums comprising MS' experts (2)

June 2008 to end 2010 (2 to 3 meetings a year)

Building on the work of the six groups established in the framework of the Action Plan for the EU Promotion of Museum Collections' Mobility and Loan Standards (3), this working group will consider, report and make recommendations (including in the form of validating best practices, making proposals for cooperation initiatives between Member States or at EC level and for elements of methodology to evaluate progress), as appropriate, on the following areas:

—	proposing incentive mechanisms for the mobility of collections, including long-term loans (e.g. indemnity, digitisation, non-insurance, expert meetings, comparison of valuation systems for collections, building up trust),

—	studying possibilities of eliminating barriers to the mobility of collections that still persist in relevant legal and administrative frameworks at national level (e.g. insurance matters, lack of immunity from seizure,

—	comparing national laws on museums or equivalent in order to promote access to culture,

—	exchanging best practices in the prevention of theft, return of stolen goods, trafficking of collections and examining ways of improvement, including by applying the relevant Community law (4), etc.,

—	exchanging best practices on promoting access to museums

Synergies with education, especially art education

Member States:

Pursuing stronger synergies between culture and education in the framework of a working group to be convened as soon as possible (5)

June 2008 to end 2010 (2 to 3 meetings a year)

Building on the work of the network of civil servants on arts and cultural education, the working group will consider, report and make recommendations (including in the form of validating best practices, making proposals for cooperation initiatives between Member States or EC level and for elements of methodology to evaluate progress), as appropriate, on the following areas:

—	policies aimed at promoting synergies between culture and education, including arts in education, and the development of projects, in order to implement the key competence ‘Cultural awareness and expression’ (6),

—	exchange of best practices on activities and structures at regional, national, and local level to promote arts and cultural education, either formal (as an integrated part of school curricula), non-formal or informal

Digitisation

Member States/Commission:

Continuation of the ongoing work in the field of digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material, and digital preservation, including audiovisual aspects (7)

2008 onwards (launch of a prototype library, end 2008)

Setting up of a common European digital library, i.e. a common multilingual access point to the different collections in Europe's libraries, archives and museums

Multilingualism

Commission/Member States:

Communication on multilingualism

September 2008

European strategy for multilingualism (to be developed, with the inclusion of cultural aspects, in conjunction with other relevant sectors, in particular education).

Study on the contribution of multilingualism to creativity

First half of 2009

Demonstrate the contribution of multilingualism to creativity and provide input to the debate on the European Year of Creativity 2009

Intercultural Dialogue

Member States/Commission:

Implementation of the European Year of intercultural Dialogue

2008

In close cooperation with the relevant national coordination bodies, implementation of the objectives of the Year and a follow-up as a contribution to a sustainable strategy, including development of a cross-sectoral approach to intercultural competences

Follow-up to the Year

2009-2010

Cultural tourism/cultural heritage

Member States:

Promoting cultural heritage through new synergies with cultural tourism-related multilateral projects

Contributing to the Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism (8) focussing in particular on cultural tourism and the promotion of cultural heritage, including intangible heritage

Access of young people to culture

Commission:

Study on access of young people to culture

Second half of 2009

Identify obstacles to the access of young people to culture as well as good practices in making this access easier

Priority 3: Developing data, statistics and methodologies in the cultural sector and improve their comparability

Initiatives	Time frame	Objectives
Commission/Member States:
Eurostat [will] (9) re-launch the activities of the statistical working group on culture. It [will] work closely with a small group of interested Member States on extending methodologies and pilot surveys, for the benefit of all the Member States	Before end 2008	Developing data production on the basis of a coordinated statistical system on culture and studying the possibility of adapting or developing existing methods to cover new needs and fields

Priority 4: Maximising the potential of cultural and creative industries, in particular that of SMEs

Initiatives

Time frame

Objectives

Member States:

Setting up a working group on cultural and creative industries comprising MS' experts (10)

April 2008 to end 2010 (about 3 meetings a year)

This working group is invited to consider, report and make recommendations (including in the form of validating and disseminating best practices, taking into account new technologies, making proposals for cooperation initiatives between Member States or at EC level and for elements of methodology to evaluate progress), as appropriate, on the following areas:

—

identification of national strategies and producing an inventory of the existing national measures aiming to create an environment conducive to the establishment and development of creative and cultural industries (e.g. access to investment, access of SMEs to finance and bank guarantees, networking, strengthening the position of SMEs within hubs of competitiveness, fiscal aspects, promotion of exports, intellectual property issues, in particular in the context of the development of new technologies,

—	training of professionals of the culture sector (managerial competences, entrepreneurship, knowledge of the European dimension/market activities),

—	the impact of cultural and creative industries, including cultural tourism, in local and regional development,

—	the impact of, amongst others, European Regional Policy measures and financial instruments on capacity building and entrepreneurship in the fields of cultural and creative industries,

—	proposing possible new ways and means to promote cultural and creative industries at the Community level

Commission:

Study on the contribution of culture to creativity

February 2009

Further explore the notion of creativity and have a better understanding of the effective and concrete contribution of culture to creativity and innovation as well as of the ways to measure the links between them.

Study on the entrepreneurial dimension of cultural and creative industries

September 2009

Better understand the functioning and specific needs of cultural and creative industries, in particular SMEs, as well as the environmental factors that have an impact on their development.

Study on the contribution of culture to local and regional economic development

Second half 2009

Analyse the socio-economic impact of investment in culture at the sub-national levels.

Green Paper on cultural and creative industries

December 2009

Kick off a debate on the best ways to unlock the potential of cultural and creative industries in Europe

Priority 5: Promoting and implementing the Unesco Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

Initiatives	Time frame	Objectives
Implementation	Ongoing
Member States/Commission:
Coordination of EU positions in meetings regarding the implementation of the Convention on the basis of the code of conduct	Protection and promotion of EU positions and interests within the governing bodies of the Convention, as well as other international frameworks.
Member States:
Implementation of the Convention and inclusion of its objectives in relevant national policies	Implementation of the Convention at national and Community level leading to better integration of its objectives in relevant policies
Commission:
Inter-service group on Culture to ensure implementation of the Convention and the mainstreaming of its objectives in Community policies
Promotion
Member States:
Promotion of the ratification of the Convention and of the objectives of the Convention in relations with third countries. Exchange of experiences on cultural cooperation with third countries	Ongoing	Promotion of the Convention at the international level
Meetings of senior government officials in the field of culture, including the meetings of Directors General of Culture in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs	Agenda driven	Exchange of views and possible recommendations on the promotion of culture inside the EU and in its external relations, and cooperation between EU Member States' cultural institutions and with their counterparts in third countries
Commission:
Systematic promotion of the Convention in dialogue with third countries

(1) The principles relating to the setting up and functioning of the working groups can be found in Annex II.

(2) The principles relating to the setting up and functioning of the working groups can be found in Annex II.

(3) See doc. 14721/06.

(4) In particular, Council Directive 93/7/EEC of 15 March 1993 on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State (OJ L 74, 27.3.1993) and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3911/92 of 9 December 1992 on the export of cultural goods (OJ L 395, 31.12.1992).

(5) The principles relating to the setting up and functioning of the working groups can be found in Annex II.

(6) In line inter alia with the objectives of the proposed European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009.

(7) See Council Conclusions of 15 November 2006 (OJ C 297, 7.12.2006, p. 1).

(8) Endorsed by the European Council on 14 December 2007, doc. 16616/07.

(9) In brackets as the final decision has not yet been taken by Eurostat.

(10) The principles relating to the setting up and functioning of the working groups can be found in Annex II.

ANNEX II

Working groups to be set up in implementation of the Council Work Plan for Culture 2008-2010

Principles relating to the setting up and functioning of the working groups

—	The participation of Member States in the work of the groups is voluntary and Member States can join them at any moment.

—

Each Member State interested in participating in the work of the working groups will nominate an expert as a member of a working group. The expert should ideally have a mix of operational and policy experience in the relevant field at a national level. Member States can invite other experts or officials to attend the meetings of the working groups as observers.

—	Each working group can decide to invite experts from other fields to contribute to the work of the group as deemed necessary.

—	The working groups will be responsible for deciding which Member State or Member States, among those who have expressed their wish to do so, will be chairing the groups.

—

The functioning of these groups will be entirely transparent so that all Member States are kept duly informed of the work of the groups, irrespective of their degree of participation in a given area. The chairs of the working groups will regularly (once per Presidency) report to the Cultural Affairs Committee on the progress of work in the respective working groups. The Cultural Affairs Committee will be given an opportunity to give guidance to the working groups in order to guarantee the desired outcome and the coordination of the groups' work.

—	The working groups will submit a mid-term report by July 2009 on the work carried out thus far, which will feed into the final report on the implementation of the Council Work Plan for Culture 2008-2010.

—	The Commission will support the work of the working groups by launching studies relevant to their field of work and it will provide logistical and secretarial support to the work of the groups.