COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 20 January 1997 on the integration of cultural aspects into Community actions (97/C 36/04)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Preamble to the Treaty on European Union, which marks a new stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe,

Whereas Article 128 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular paragraph 4 thereof, states that the Community shall take cultural aspects into account in its action under other provisions of the Treaty;

Whereas Article 3b of the Treaty states that, in areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Community shall take action in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity;

Whereas on 12 November 1992 the Council and the Ministers of Culture meeting within the Council concluded that it should become standard practice on a case by case basis to take account of cultural aspects of actions under provisions of the Treaty other than cultural ones at the ealiest possible stage of preparation of any new action or policy and that they should regularly consider those issues under other provisions of the Treaty affecting culture which are under examination in Council;

Whereas, on 25 July 1996, the Council concluded that access for citizens to culture in an operational or user capacity is an essential condition for full participation in society and that geographical, physical, educational, social and economic obstacles in all countries may make it difficult for many citizens to gain access to culture and may increase the incidence of exclusion, particularly among the less-favoured groups of the population,

WELCOMES the first Report by the Commission on the consideration of cultural aspects in European Community action, which states that it constitutes a partial account and that although considerable means are devoted to cultural activities or activities with a cultural dimension, the operations implemented rarely correspond to specific Community objectives in the cultural field;

CONSIDERS that the Report represents a valuable first step in determining the areas in which other provisions of the Treaty and actions arising from them have an impact on, and benefit, the cultural sector and demonstrates the need for further work to ensure that the objectives and obligations of Article 128 are met;

NOTES with interest that a number of Community interventions under the structural funds directly concern the cultural field (historic and artistic heritage, traditional crafts, etc.);

AFFIRMS that cultural aspects in Community actions shall, within the scope of the Treaty, be taken into account based on the following principles:

- culture forms an integral part of Community action and contributes to the objectives of the Community through enhancement of citizenship and personal and human development,

- culture must be accorded recognition in its own right in line with other activities requiring horizontal coordination in the decision-making procedures of the Community,

- access to culture and the affirmation and expression of cultural identity are essential conditions for the full participation of citizens in society,

- the implementation of actions with a cultural dimension should contribute to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States while respecting their national and regional diversity and at the same time bring the common cultural heritage to the fore, thereby:

- bringing Europe closer to its citizens,

- continuing the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe,

- strengthening the sense of citizenship of the Union;

such implementation can also contribute to a reduction of disparities between levels of development of the various regions, greater economic and social cohesion, improvement of employment opportunities for workers in the internal market, elimination of exclusion and enrichment of the quality of life of its citizens,

- differing procedures and practices in relation to cultural action in Member States shall be respected in the decision-making structures of the Community,

- the integration of cultural aspects should be achieved with transparency and coordination;

CONSIDERS that to achieve its goals in the cultural field, as set out in Article 128, and to implement other Treaty provisions referring to culture, the Community must have careful regard to the impact of other policies on culture and should regularly assess action in the areas identified in the Commission's First Report:

- the single market, including issues relating to the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital,

- the Community's internal policies,

- audiovisual and telecommunications policies, including issues relating to the information society and the content provider industries,

- Community external relations;

AGREES to take into account cultural aspects in the structural funds for the purpose of strengthening the economic and social cohesion of the Community and promoting its overall harmonious development within the current Community legal framework;

AGREES to establish effective and coherent procedures by which the impact of other Community policies in the field of culture can be reviewed at all appropriate levels. These procedures shall be aimed, in particular, at creating a flow of information on the cultural aspects of existing and proposed Community actions;

WELCOMES the Commission's intention to:

- establish its own enhanced and effective procedures to ensure better coordination of its actions in accordance with cultural objectives, drawing on experience in the fields of environment and of health,

- develop appropriate procedures for assessing, at the outset of the development of policies under other provisions of the Treaty, what proposals are likely to have an impact on culture and identify these in its annual work programme and ensure that such proposals take into account cultural principles set out in this Resolution;

INVITES the Commission to:

- continue and improve the supply of good quality information to Member States in order to facilitate their own coordination at national level,

- report annually to the Council on how cultural aspects have been taken into account in the Community's actions under other provisions of the Treaty, and as required in respect of priority cultural objectives identified from time to time by the Council and by itself,

- undertake a detailed assessment of the economic impact, in particular the employment impact, of cultural activity in the Union,

- take into consideration, in respect of its action, the views expressed by the Council regarding cultural aspects;

UNDERTAKES

- to assess the extent to which the principles set out both in the conclusions adopted on 12 November 1992, referred to above, and in this Resolution have been observed,

- to review regularly the operation, effectiveness and relevance of the procedures adopted for assessing the observance of these principles,

- to consider any measures that may be necessary for their improvement, and

- to develop and present ideas on how to promote further and improve the integration of cultural aspects into Community actions, including drawing up further guidance if this should prove necessary.