Council Resolution of 25 June 2002 on a new work plan on European cooperation in the field of culture
Date: 2002-06-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: European Union, European integration, cultural cooperation, cultural pluralism, cultural policy, cultural relations, international cooperation

6.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 162/5

PROPOSES the following objectives and indicative measures for
further analysis:

— stimulating the development of policies for preserving
digital culture and heritage, as well as their accessibility,
through

— establishing cooperation frameworks and mechanisms
between Member States for exchanging experiences on
policies, programmes and related regulatory issues, and
for developing shared approaches,

— supporting the relevant custodial organisations (e.g.
libraries and museums) collectively and indi-
in their responsibilities for collecting digital

archives,
vidually,
content and keeping it accessible over time,

the

— examining
technical
compatible networks of
tories,

organisational
standards needed to support

and
stable and
trusted preservation reposi-

infrastructures

— advancing advocacy and awareness,

through networks
which support the sharing of experiences and progress,
the
the
measurement and dissemination of good practices,

appropriate

standards,

adoption

and

of

— considering appropriate investment, and analysing the cost
and the impact on current and future funding, as well as
the potential synergy between public and private funding,

— improving the skills base, by creating mechanisms for the
exchange of knowledge and skills, and for the ongoing
identification of emerging skills requirements and training
needs,

— stimulating research into problems and solutions, through
the development of research programmes, technology trials
and experimental large-scale applications,

CALLS UPON THE COMMISSION AND THE MEMBER STATES, as
appropriate, and within their respective areas of competence
and respecting fully the subsidiarity principle, to undertake,
develop or study the feasibility of the said measures,

INVITES THE COMMISSION

— in collaboration with Member States, to assess the situation,

— to report back to the Council (in principle every two years

after the adoption of this Resolution),

— to draw up an action plan, as appropriate.

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;

5. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the increasing importance of inter-
cultural 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 European
Parliament of 5 September 2001 on cultural cooperation
in the European Union;

the Resolution of

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;

4. WHEREAS this new context

is notably marked by the

impending enlargement of the European Union;

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

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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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;

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
current Community framework
programme Culture 2000;

the

thereof

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
is
the implementation of Article 151(4)
that
ensured. This work plan, with an indicative
and
non-exhaustive list of priority topics to be considered
during the next
is contained in the
Annex. This work plan should be taken forward in a coor-
dinated way by the successive presidencies, and in coop-
eration 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

few presidencies,

13. EMPHASISES the central role of the presidency,

eration with the Commission,
the work plan,
by maintaining the momentum of the process;

in coop-
in the implementation of
in particular by ensuring continuity and

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
taking into
would also need to be operated flexibly,
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.

ANNEX

INDICATIVE LIST OF TOPICS FOR THE WORK PLAN

The work plan referred to in paragraph 11 of the Resolution will
following:

include, without prejudice to other topics, the

(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 communi-
cation 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,

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— 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.