Council Resolution of 21 June 2001 on the need for a reinforced exchange of information and experience between the European Union and its Member States and the candidate countries within the audiovisual sector
Date: 2001-06-21
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: European audiovisual area, accession to the European Union, audiovisual communications policy, cooperation policy, exchange of information

5.10.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 281/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 21 June 2001

on the need for a reinforced exchange of information and experience between the European
Union and its Member States and the candidate countries within the audiovisual sector

(2001/C 281/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Taking into account:

5. The Commission’s communication of 14 December 1999
on the principles and guidelines for the Community’s
audiovisual policy in the digital era which emphasised
that it was crucial that the candidate countries incorporate
the acquis communautaire in the field of audiovisual affairs
promptly and in full,

1. that the Community and the Member States will foster
cooperation with third countries and the competent inter-
national organisations
in
in the
particular the Council of Europe,

sphere of

culture,

2. Council Resolution of 4 April 1995 concerning coop-
eration with the associated countries of central and
eastern Europe in the cultural domain (1) which underlines
the importance of an on-going dialogue and exchange of
information with the countries in central and eastern
Europe and in this context
to reinforce the cultural
dimension of the cooperation,

6. The constructive dialogue existing in the audiovisual field
between the Union and its Member States and the
candidate countries; that, in the context of this dialogue,
information and
the importance of an exchange of
experience as well as follow-up actions have particularly
been stressed in the conclusions of the conference:
(cid:145)The
role of the audiovisual sector in the development of civil
society(cid:146) (Warsaw on 17-18 March 1998) and the seminar
(cid:145)Audiovisual policy and cultural diversity in an enlarged
Europe(cid:146) (Prague on 5-6 October 2000),

THEREFORE

3. The Helsinki European Council’s

conclusions of 11
the
December 1999 reaffirming the inclusive nature of
accession process which now comprises 13 candidate
countries, namely Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria,
Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus and Turkey,

7. UNDERLINES the importance of the audiovisual sector in an
enlarged European Union and emphasises particularly its
role in safeguarding general democratic values and in
preserving and promoting Europe’s cultural diversity,

countries

to establish the

4. That in its conclusions the Nice European Council (7 to 9
December 2000) appreciated the efforts made by the
candidate
for
adoption, implementation and practical application of the
acquis and requested the candidate countries to continue
and speed up the necessary reforms to prepare themselves
for accession, particularly as regards strengthening their
administrative capacity, so as to be able to join the
Union as soon as possible,

conditions

(1) OJ C 247, 23.9.1995, p. 2.

8. EMPHASISES the importance of the exchange of information
and experience in creating a favourable framework for
adoption and implementation of the acquis communitaire,
thus facilitating the accession negotiations,

9. NOTES the importance of reinforcing the exchange of
information and experience which has hitherto taken
place between the Union and its Member States and the
candidate countries in the audiovisual field,

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Official Journal of the European Communities

5.10.2001

10. RECALLS that candidate countries will be required within
the framework of their policies towards third countries and
international organisations, particularly the World Trade
to align themselves progressively, and as
Organisation,
to
quickly as possible,
the policies and positions adopted by the Community
and its Member States, and expresses the view that,
in
cultural and audiovisual fields, this should apply with the
aim of preserving and promoting cultural diversity in
Europe,

in the perspective of accession,

16. INVITES the Commission, within the existing legal and
the

framework and taking into the account

financial
timetable of the enlargement process, to:

(i) reinforce the exchange of information and experience
on audiovisual policy between the Union and its
Member States and the candidate countries, building
upon existing forums and networks;

11. STRESSES that existing forums and networks in the audio-
visual sector should be used for such a reinforced exchange
of information and experience,

(ii) identify issues considered important to include in such
an exchange, in consultation with the Member States
and the candidate countries;

12. NOTES that means of financial cooperation between the
European Union and the candidate countries, such as the
Phare programme, could also be used to advantage in the
audiovisual field,

(iii) further develop cooperation with the Council of
Europe in order to benefit from the experience held
by that organisation in this sphere and to avoid dupli-
cation of work;

13. UNDERLINES the importance of participation in Community
programmes as an integral element of pre-accession
strategy and,
in this context, of the possibilities offered
by the MEDIA programmes for the candidate countries,
when their legislation is sufficiently aligned with the audio-
visual acquis,

14. EMPHASISES that a reinforced exchange of information and
experience should be directed at issues which are linked to
the adoption and implementation of the acquis commun-
autaire as well as at other issues of common interest in
the audiovisual
inter alia,
aim to share good practice in national audiovisual policies,

field. Such exchanges, would,

(iv) report in an appropriate way to the Council on the

work carried out,

17.

INVITES the Member States to:

information and
(i) promote an increased exchange of
experience in the audiovisual
sector between the
Union and its Member States and the candidate
countries;

15. WELCOMES the importance which the candidate countries
attach to a reinforced dialogue with the Union and its
Member States,

(ii) cooperate with the Commission in the reinforced
exchange of information and experience in the audio-
visual sector.