Council Resolution of 28 October 1999 integrating history into the Community's cultural action
Date: 1999-10-28
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: European integration, cultural cooperation, cultural policy, history of Europe

12.11.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 324/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 28 October 1999

integrating history into the Community’s cultural action

(1999/C 324/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Whereas:

(1) European cooperation and integration should be based on
awareness and protection of cultural diversity and mutual
understanding between Europe’s peoples; this is especially
relevant in view of the future enlargement of the European
Union;

(2) The everyday lives of the peoples of Europe have been
shaped by diverse historical experiences; knowledge of
the shared experiences and memories
the
bonds between European citizens and contributes to the
development of a European awareness;

strengthens

(3) Europe is also a community of shared values; European
integration building on the fundamental principles of
human rights, the rule of law and democracy is the conse-
quence of historical experiences which constitute our
common heritage today; knowledge of
the history of
Europe’s peoples helps to ensure that those political prin-
ciples and their attendant values are firmly anchored in the
minds of its citizens;

(4) In addition to history and arts teaching in schools (cid:151) which
the Member States (cid:151) books,
libraries, archives and
role in

is the responsibility of
television, new media, museums,
film museums play an increasingly important
communicating historical knowledge;

(5) The expert meeting on the culture of European history in
the twenty-first century held in Bonn on 25 and 26
range of positive
January 1999 considered a wide
the history of
measures for fostering an awareness of
European peoples, for instance by:

(cid:151) the encouragement of the exchange of historical docu-
mentaries between European radio and television
providers,

(cid:151) the fostering of Europe-wide cooperation between

history museums;

AGREES ON

(cid:151) the need to contribute to a better mutual understanding of
the history and diverse historical experience of Europe’s
cooperation between Member
through closer
peoples
States and other relevant bodies,

(cid:151) the need for history to be taken into account not only in
measures that promote culture but also in other support
for instance in the field of education and
programmes,
research, having regard to the need for consistency and
complementarity between Community support measures;

INVITES THE COMMISSION

(cid:151) when implementing the single financing and programming
instrument for cultural cooperation, once adopted, as well
as other
appropriate
instruments,
consideration to projects in the historical field,

to give

relevant

(cid:151) to ensure that such projects are as pan-European as possible
in order to improve the knowledge and understanding of
the history of the European peoples and thereby making a
significant contribution to European cooperation and inte-
gration,

(cid:151) to strive for close collaboration with the Council of Europe

and Unesco on historical projects,

(cid:151) to ensure coordination between existing programmes and

(cid:151) the promotion of the translation of historical works,

activities in relevant fields.