Council Resolution

of 25 June 2002

on a new work plan on European cooperation in the field of culture

(2002/C 162/03)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

1. NOTING that, in accordance with the Treaty establishing the European Community, the Community is to contribute to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States, while respecting their national and regional diversity, to encourage cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, to support and supplement their action, while fully respecting the principle of subsidiarity as well as the Commission's right of initiative in the fields falling within Community competence;

2. NOTING that 7 February 2002 was the 10th anniversary of the Treaty of Maastricht and of the inclusion of a specific article on culture in the Treaty establishing the European Community;

3. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the fact that the Community is facing new challenges in a very different context from the one in which the Treaty of Maastricht was signed;

4. WHEREAS this new context is notably marked by the impending enlargement of the European Union;

5. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the increasing importance of intercultural dialogue, the mass of technological innovations in the knowledge and information society, as well as the challenges of the globalisation process;

6. TAKING DUE NOTE of the Resolution of the European Parliament of 5 September 2001 on cultural cooperation in the European Union;

7. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the mandate of the Council Resolution of 21 January 2002 on the role of culture in the development of the European Union(1);

8. NOTING the debates held on one hand at the informal meetings of Ministers for Culture in Falun (20-22 May 2001), Bruges (4-5 December 2001) and Salamanca (18 March 2002) on the implementation of Article 151 of the Treaty and on the other hand the debates held during the second Forum on Cultural Cooperation in Europe organised by the Commission on 21 and 22 November 2001 on the future of Community cultural action;

9. STRESSES the need for a more coherent approach to action at Community level in the field of culture and believes that cooperation in this field should be improved by creating a structured framework with a work plan for discussions of priority topics of common interest and, where appropriate, the creation of new strategies;

10. STRESSES the need for an effective synergy with all other relevant areas and actions of the Community;

11. AGREES on a work plan with the aim of placing culture at the heart of European integration and taking into account the cultural aspects under other provisions of the Treaty so that the implementation of Article 151(4) thereof is ensured. This work plan, with an indicative and non-exhaustive list of priority topics to be considered during the next few presidencies, is contained in the Annex. This work plan should be taken forward in a coordinated way by the successive presidencies, and in cooperation with the Commission, as rapidly as possible. To this end, the successive presidencies shall, as soon as possible, agree informally the area(s) from the indicative list that each presidency shall address in the lifetime of the work plan. Each presidency shall present the outcome of its endeavours in this regard by the end of its period in office, with an indicative date for completion of the work not later than 2004;

12. STRESSES that the implementation of this work plan should not delay the decision-making process on a renewal or a prolongation of the current Community framework programme Culture 2000;

13. EMPHASISES the central role of the presidency, in cooperation with the Commission, in the implementation of the work plan, in particular by ensuring continuity and by maintaining the momentum of the process;

14. STRESSES that this work plan should be implemented whilst fully respecting the prerogatives of the European Commission as well as the principle of subsidiarity. It would also need to be operated flexibly, taking into account new political developments;

15. UNDERLINES the importance of keeping the European Parliament regularly informed of discussions and progress achieved in the framework of the work plan.

(1) OJ C 32, 5.2.2002, p. 2.

ANNEX

INDICATIVE LIST OF TOPICS FOR THE WORK PLAN

The work plan referred to in paragraph 11 of the Resolution will include, without prejudice to other topics, the following:

(i) European added value

- analysing and developing methods to identify and evaluate the added value of European actions in the field of culture;

(ii) Access to, and visibility of, cultural action of the Community

- improving the dissemination of information in order to facilitate access of citizens to cultural action of the Community,

- improving the visibility of cultural action of the Community;

(iii) Horizontal aspects

- enhancing synergies with other Community areas and activities, including in the areas of education and training, youth, internal market, competition, regional development, research and information and communication technology,

- the exchange of good practices in relation to the economic and social dimension of culture, including the contribution of cultural activities to social inclusion,

- development and promotion of mobility of persons and circulation of works in the cultural sector,

- analysing the means of encouraging the development of the cultural and creative industries in the Community, in particular, in order to respect and promote the diversity of its cultures;

(iv) Dialogue among cultures

- promotion and dissemination of Europe's cultural and linguistic diversity as well as the common dimensions of its cultures,

- fostering of dialogue among cultures;

(v) Cooperation between Member States and participation of new Member States

- developing strategies to accelerate integration and participation of new Member States in the cultural field,

- cooperation between the Member States in the different fields of cultural administration, for instance, cultural statistics and cultural goods;

(vi) International cooperation in the field of culture

- increasing concrete cooperation with relevant international organisations such as the Council of Europe and Unesco with a view to taking advantage of synergy,

- promoting cooperation with third countries.

Other areas of cooperation could periodically be taken into account, having regard to the developments of the next few years.

The procedure as well as the actors and the timetable will be established on a case-by-case basis, in the framework of the Treaty establishing the European Community.