Communication from the Commission - Making citizenship Work: fostering European culture and diversity through programmes for Youth, Culture, Audiovisual and Civic Participation
Date: 2004-03-09
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, European citizenship, audiovisual communications policy, culture, young person

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 9.3.2004 
COM(2004) 154 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Making citizenship Work: fostering European culture and diversity through 
programmes for Youth, Culture, Audiovisual and Civic Participation 

. 

(presented by the Commission) 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

Making citizenship Work: fostering European culture and diversity through programmes 
for Youth, Culture, Audiovisual and Civic Participation 

. 

Executive Summary 

The  Commission  Communication  of  10  February  “Building  our  common  Future:  Policy 
challenges  and  Budgetary  means  of  the  Enlarged  Union  2007-2013”,  proposed  developing 
European citizenship as a main priority for EU action, on the basis of an area of freedom, justice 
and security. This included the need to make citizenship a reality by fostering European culture 
and  diversity,  covering  areas  directly  involving  European  citizens  with  the  integration  process, 
i.e. Youth, Culture, the Audiovisual sector and Civic Participation. 

The  existing  programmes  in  these  areas  will  all  end  in  2006  and,  in  the  light  of  the  above-
mentioned  Communication  as  well  as  the  results  of  public  consultations  and  recent  evaluation 
reports, the Commission will later this year adopt legislative proposals for a new generation of 
programmes  for  these  areas  for  the  next  programming  period  (except  for  Civic  Participation, 
which will be tabled in early 2005 on the basis of an initial appraisal of the new programme in 
this  area  launched  in  2004  and  of  the  outcome  of  the  European  constitutional  debate).  The 
purpose  of  the  present  Communication  is  to  indicate  the  content  of  these  proposals  and  the 
rationale behind them. 

The coming decade will greatly increase the diversity of the Union. With the accession of 10 new 
Member States on 1 May 2004, it will undergo the most significant enlargement in its history. By 
2007  the  total  population  of  the  Union  will  approach  500  million,  representing  an  immense 
richness of cultural, social and linguistic diversity. Moreover, our societies are undergoing major 
demographic change resulting in an ageing and shrinking working-age population and sustained 
immigration flows. In such a context, the shared values that hold our societies together, such as 
freedom, fairness, tolerance and solidarity, become more important than ever. 

European  citizens  must  therefore  be  given  the  chance  of  direct,  personal  experience  of  what 
European citizenship and these values mean in practice – be it through participation in dialogue 
with  the  institutions,  through  citizen  and  youth  exchanges,  or  participation  in  cross-border 
projects.  Fostering  the  mobility  of  citizens,  artists,  cultural  and  audiovisual  works  and  events, 
gives European citizens the possibility of encountering the common elements in their developing 
European identity, an identity which complements those – national, regional, ethnic, religious – 
that citizens already have. 

Through mobility actions, the European Voluntary Service and actions to improve the quality of 
support  structures  for  young  people,  the  new  YOUTH  programme  will  promote  the  active 
participation  of  young  persons  in  civic  society,  promote  the  values  of  tolerance  and  solidarity 
amongst  young  people  and  promote  intercultural  dialogue.  It  will  cover  also  certain  third 
countries as well as Member States. 

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In  line  with  the  requirements  of  Article  151  TEC  and  the  principle  of  subsidiarity,  the  new 
Culture programme will contribute to the flourishing of shared European cultural values on the 
basis of cultural co-operation between artists, cultural operators and cultural institutions. It will 
focus  on  the  promotion  of  multilateral  European  co-operation  and  allowing  a  bottom-up 
development of a European identity through the interaction of its citizens. 

Given the high cultural and  social impact of the audiovisual  media,  this sector offers  a unique 
platform for intercultural dialogue and for promoting mutual knowledge and understanding. The 
new  EU  programme  in  this  area  should  therefore  aim  at  creating  conditions  which  allow 
Europeans to watch stories, dramas, documentaries and other works that reflect the reality of their 
own lives and histories, as well as those of their neighbours. 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

In its Communication of 10 February entitled “Building our common Future: Policy challenges 
and Budgetary means of the Enlarged Union 2007-2013”1, the Commission proposes as one of 
the  main  priorities  for  EU  action  developing  European  citizenship,  on  the  basis  of  an  area  of 
freedom,  justice,  security,  and  respect  for  and  promotion  of  fundamental  rights,  and  fostering 
European culture and diversity. Promoting European culture and diversity contributes to making 
European citizenship a reality through encouraging direct involvement of European citizens in the 
integration  process,  i.e.  Youth,  Culture,  the  Audiovisual  sector  and  civic  participation.  The 
Commission is simultaneously tabling a Communication on the new generation of education and 
training  programmes  after  2006  which  will  contribute  to  achieving  the  objective  of  sustainable 
development2. 

In  this  context,  the  Commission  also  underlined  the  importance  of  using  the  revision  of  legal 
instruments  which  occurs  around  2007  to  create  a  significant  movement  towards  greater 
simplicity  in  the  conception  and  in  the  operation  of  Community  instruments.  Each  of  the 
successors  to  the  existing  programmes  is  planned  to  be  streamlined  as  much  as  possible,  while 
respecting  the  obligations  arising  out  of  the  Financial  Regulation.  Serious  consideration  was 
given  to  the  possibility  of  merging  all  citizenship  programmes  into  one  single  framework 
programme. So far, there is however no evidence that such an approach would result in greater 
simplification. Each of the above-mentioned fields is covered by a different article of the Treaty 
and  governed  by  specific  decision-making  and  management  rules.  Moreover,  although  all 
programmes  have  a  strong  citizenship  dimension,  their  scope  is  different,  as  illustrated,  for 
instance, by the specificities of the existing audiovisual programmes. However, efforts should be 
made, where appropriate, to make these rules as coherent as possible with one another. 

The Commission regards the streamlining approach mapped out in the present communication as 
an  important  step  towards  simpler  programmes,  but  certainly  not  the  end  of  the  road.  The 
Commission is interested in receiving suggestions on how the new generation of programmes and 
their  operation  could  be  simplified  and,  where  possible,  further  concentrated,  and  will  seek  to 
include these in its draft proposals. These may imply amendments to the Community’s Financial 
Regulation or its Implementing Rules, for example; but no possible avenue should be excluded at 
this stage. 

1 
the Enlarged Union 2007-2013 
2 

 COM (2004) 101 of 10.02.2004. Building our common Future: Policy challenges and Budgetary means of 

COM (2004) 156 of 09.03.2004. The new Generation of Community Education and Training programmes 
after 2006 

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The  existing  Community  programmes  in  the  fields  of  Youth,  Culture,  Audiovisual  and  Civic 
Participation  will  all  come  to  an  end  in  20063.  In  the  light  of  the  Communication  on  future 
policies and budgetary means and the results of public consultation and recent Interim Evaluation 
Reports4, the Commission will later this year adopt legislative proposals for a new generation of 
programmes in the fields of Youth, Culture and Audiovisual for the next programming period. A 
legislative proposal  on civic participation will be tabled in early 2005 on the basis of an initial 
appraisal  of  the  new  programme  in  this  area  launched  in  2004  and  of  the  outcome  of  the 
European constitutional debate. 

The purpose of the present Communication is to indicate the content of these proposals and the 
rationale  behind  them,  as  well  as  a  general  outline  of  how  these  policy  proposals  could  be 
implemented in a more simplified and streamlined way, taking into account the current legal and 
administrative  context.  However,  nothing  in  this  Communication  prejudges  the  final  content  of 
the legislative proposals to be adopted by the Commission, including their financial aspects, and 
as  stated,  the  Commission  remains  committed  to  examining  further  ways  of  simplifying  and 
rationalising the implementation of these proposals. 

2. 

FOSTERING EUROPEAN CULTURE AND DIVERSITY IN AN ENLARGED UNION 

Citizenship  of  the  Union  was  established  by  the  Maastricht  Treaty,  which  inserted  the  current 
Article 17 into the Treaty establishing the European Community. It specifies that citizenship of 
the Union shall complement and not replace national citizenship. 

According  to  the  Preamble  of  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of  the  Union,  “the  Union  is 
founded on the indivisible, universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity; it 
is based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law. It places the individual at the heart 
of  its  activities,  by  establishing  the  citizenship  of  the  Union  [...].  The  Union  contributes  to  the 
preservation and to the development of these common values while respecting the diversity of the 
cultures and traditions of the peoples of Europe as well as the national identities of the Member 
States”. 

The growing importance of citizenship in the European order and the values it is based upon has 
been mirrored by an equal growth in importance at Union level of education, youth and cultural 
policies. The Maastricht Treaty granted the Community competence for the first time in the areas 
of education and training, youth and culture (now laid down in Articles 149, 150 and 151 of the 
Treaty Establishing the European Community). The draft Constitutional Treaty would, if adopted, 
confirm these competences while removing the unanimity condition for decisions in the field of 
culture. It would add encouraging the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe 
to the tasks of the Union. It could also launch the idea of mobilising young Europeans in actions 
of  international  solidarity.  Finally,  given  the  social  and  educational  function  of  sport,  it  would 
add this area to the domain covered by the present article on Education (Article 149). 

On  the  basis  of  the  above-mentioned  Treaty  Articles,  the  Community  has  adopted  and 
successfully implemented major programmes in the fields of education, vocational training, youth 

3 

4 

Subject to adoption of the Commission’s proposal to extend the Culture 2000 programme by 2 years (COM 
(2003) 187 final of 16.4.O3) and adoption of the Commission’s proposals to extend the MEDIA Plus and 
MEDIA  Training  programmes  by  1  year  (COM(2003)  191  final  (Media  Plus)  and  COM(2003)  188  final 
(Media Training) both of 16.4.03) 
COM  (2003)  725  final  of  24.11.03  (MEDIA),  COM  (2003)  722  final  of  24.11.03  (Culture),  and  COM 
(2004) 158 of 8.03.04 document in written procedure. 

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and culture. Together with the Media programme (adopted on the basis of Article 157 - qualified 
majority since the Nice Treaty), these programmes have all contributed and continue to contribute 
to  upholding  and  disseminating  the  shared  values  that  form  the  foundation  for  the  political 
construct of citizenship at the European level, as attested by the Interim Reports on the current 
generation  of  programmes.  They  have  allowed  millions  of  citizens  to  directly  experience  the 
benefits  of  European  integration.  The  proven  relevance  of  these  programmes  justifies  their 
renewal  after  2006.  There  are,  however,  further  reasons  for  pursuing  and  developing  such 
programmes. 

The coming decade will greatly increase the diversity of the Union. With the accession of 10 new 
Member  States  on  1  May  2004,  it  will  undergo  the  most  significant  enlargement  in  its  history. 
Further  accessions  are  foreseen,  and  it  is  the  objective  of  the  EU  to  welcome  Bulgaria  and 
Romania as members in 2007, if they are ready. Already at that stage, the total population of the 
Union  will  approach  500  million,  representing  an  immense  richness  of  cultural,  social  and 
linguistic diversity. 

Moreover, our societies are undergoing major demographic change. As the Commission stated in 
its Communication of 3 June 2003 on immigration, integration and employment: “in the context 
of an ageing and shrinking working-age population, more sustained immigration flows, without 
solving  all  the  effects  of  demographic  change,  are  increasingly  likely  and  necessary  to  fill  the 
needs  of  the  EU  labour  market”5.  In  such  a  context,  the  shared  values  that  hold  our  societies 
together,  such  as  freedom,  fairness,  tolerance  and  solidarity,  become  more  important  than  ever. 
The 2003 Communication therefore called for a holistic integration policy, including issues such 
as language skills and the social and cultural environment. 

These developments make it more necessary than ever that Europe’s citizens have an opportunity 
to experience a feeling of belonging to the Union and are able to identify with it. The reality is 
that many citizens experience the Union as merely a distant and remote political and economic 
entity  -  as  may  be  reflected  in  the  low  turnouts  for  European  elections  (49%  in  1999).  Recent 
opinion  polls  show  falling  levels  of  support  for  European  Union  membership6.  The  notion  of 
European  citizenship  must  therefore  be  given  concrete  meaning  through  direct,  personal 
interaction  –  be  it  through  participation  in  dialogue  with  the  institutions,  through  citizen  and 
youth exchanges, or participation in cross-border projects. By fostering the mobility of citizens, 
artists, cultural and audiovisual works and events, European citizens can take advantage not only 
of  the  opportunities  offered  by  their  rich  and  diverse  cultural  heritage  but  also  of  common 
elements in their developing European identity, an identity which complements those – national, 
regional, ethnic, religious - that citizens already have. 

3. 

ACTION IN THE FIELD OF YOUTH 

3.1. 

Justification for EU action 

The  Youth  programme7  (2000-2006)  is  one  of  the  main  Community  instruments  capable  of 
meeting  the  challenges  outlined  above.  It  is  an  instrument  for  mobility  and  education  targeting 
young people between 15 and 25 and socio-educational workers in the European Union and third 
countries.  The  programme  gives  effect  to  Article  149(2)  of  the  Treaty,  which  stipulates  that 

5 
6 
7 

 COM (2003) 336 final of 3.6.2003 on immigration, integration and employment. 
Eurobarometer Nr. 60, Autumn 2003 
Decision No 1031/2000/EC, of 1304.2000, OJ L 117/1 of 18.5.2000 

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Community action is to aim at “encouraging the development of youth exchanges and exchanges 
of socio-educational instructors”. 

The  Commission  presented  the  Member  States  with  a  political  strategy  for  promoting  active 
engagement  of  young  people  in  Europe.  The  White  Paper  on  “A  fresh  impetus  for  European 
youth” presented by the Commission in November 20018 proposes that activities in the field of 
youth should focus on participation, information, voluntary work and a greater understanding of 
young people. These priorities were supported by the European Parliament9 and adopted by the 
Council of Ministers in the Resolution of 27 June 2002, instituting an open coordination method 
governing  these  priorities,  which  is  currently  being  implemented  by  the  Commission  and 
Member States. 

After enlargement, there will be 60 million young people between 15 and 25 in the EU for whom 
Europe will be a place where they are free to live, work, study or travel. However, young people 
are  less  committed  to  the  traditional  structures  of  political  and  social  activity  than  in  the  past. 
This does not mean that they are not interested in public life. Most of them express a desire to 
participate but in novel ways. It is important to create conditions in which young Europeans can 
make their presence felt more keenly as citizens with a sense of solidarity and responsibility who 
are  active  and  tolerant  members  of  a  multi-cultural  society.  Increased  involvement  of  young 
people  in  local,  regional,  national  and  European  communities  and  fostering  active  engagement 
are major challenges for our societies both now and in the future. 

Youth policy also contributes to preparing Europe for the transition to a competitive and dynamic 
knowledge-based economy, especially in respect of lifelong learning, by giving young people the 
opportunity  to  enhance  their  education  and  training  in  a  less  formal  way  than  within  the 
framework of the educational or vocational training systems. 

A  key  aspect  of  citizenship  for  young  people  is  respect  for  others  both  within  and  outside  the 
Union and makes a not inconsiderable contribution to the people-to-people aspect of the Union’s 
external  relations.  In  this  context,  youth  activities  have  a  part  to  play  in  an  enlarged  Europe’s 
policy vis-à-vis its neighbours. 

3.2.  Results of the Interim Evaluation and Public Consultation 

The very wide public consultation exercise launched in the context of the preparation of the new 
generation of programmes on education, training and youth10 revealed high expectations on the 
part  of  young  people  and  youth  organisations,  and  also  on  the  part  of  national  authorities  and 
social NGOs, of the new European instruments offering the opportunity to create a stronger sense 
of  citizenship  amongst  young  people.  This  approach  also  won  unequivocal  support  from  the 
European Parliament. 

The interim evaluation of the Youth programme covering the period 2000-2003 analysed the way 
the  programme  was  implemented,  made  operational  recommendations  and  also  identified  a 
number  of  issues  relating  to  the  importance  of  action  by  the  European  Union  to  promote 
European citizenship amongst young people. 

The  interim  evaluation  confirms  that  the  aims  of  programme  and  its  strands,  namely  youth 
exchange  schemes,  the  European  Voluntary  Service  and  youth  initiatives,  are  valid.  It  also 

8 
9 
10 

COM (2001) 681 
Report of 19 April 2002 on the White Paper (A5-0126/2002) 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/index_en.html 

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underlines the impact that the programme has on young people and socio-educational workers. In 
particular,  it  shows  that  young  people  participating  in  the  programme  acquire  new  personal, 
social,  intercultural  and  vocational  skills,  which  can  have  a  major  and  even  crucial  impact  on 
those  who  have  done  European  voluntary  service,  and  whose  life  or  career  choices  have  been 
strongly influenced by this positive experience. 

The interim evaluation identifies certain implementation problems related chiefly to management 
(simplifying  procedures,  improving  assistance  to  beneficiaries,  reinforcing  consistency  of 
implementation from one Member State to another) and makes recommendations, some of which 
will be implemented during the remainder of the programme. 

There  were  other,  more  ambitious,  recommendations  which  the  current  legal  basis  does  not 
permit.  Now  that  the  Voluntary  Service  has  become  established,  one  of  the  new  avenues  of 
development  which  should  be  looked  at  is  how  it  could  complement  civil  services  and 
international solidarity activities. The various activities which, at present, contribute to mobility 
and  exchanges  of  young  people  should  also  focus  on  measures  aimed  directly  at  promoting 
participation  and  active  engagement  amongst  young  people,  including  support  to  NGOs,  and 
therefore  contribute  more  to  meeting  the  priorities  on  youth.  Increasing  the  programme’s 
geographical scope and developing cooperation with third countries should also become a more 
important strand of the programme. Finally, depending on the type of measure, the programme’s 
potential could be boosted if it targeted the age group of 13 to 30. 

3.3.  Aims post-2006 

The  new  European  instrument  for  young  people  should  be  informed  both  by  the  public 
consultation  and  the  current  evaluation  of  the  programme  to  ensure  continuity  and  make  it  run 
more smoothly, and the Union’s new aspirations in terms of citizenship which are set out in the 
Communication on the new financial perspectives and are already being put into practice by the 
open method of coordination on youth. 

3.3.1.  The objectives of the new programme 

This new instrument will primarily aim to promote experiences of European citizenship by young 
people  by  offering  them  ways  and  means  to  make  it  more  concrete  through  various  forms  of 
active engagement, at European level as well as at national and local levels. It should also seek to 
promote solidarity between young people, inter alia, in order to strengthen social cohesion in the 
Union and to promote mutual understanding of peoples through youth. It should also promote the 
sense  of  initiative,  the  creativity  and  the  entrepreneurial  spirit  of  young  people  and  to  make  it 
possible  for  them  to  acquire  the  competences  essential  to  their  personal  and  professional 
development. Finally, it should contribute to developing the quality of support systems for youth 
activities and the ability of youth organisations to foster youth activities and to promote European 
cooperation on youth policy. The avowed aim is to maximise the impact of Community action at 
national, regional and local levels whilst fully abiding by the principle of subsidiarity. In order to 
achieve these aims, the programme will have five separate and mutually complementary strands. 

3.3.2.  The actions proposed 

"Youth for Europe" will mainly be geared to reinforcing active engagement of young people by 
supporting exchanges, mobility and initiatives for young people and their projects and activities 
for participating in democratic life. 

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"European  Voluntary  Service"  will  be  geared  to  developing  solidarity  and  promoting  active 
engagement and mutual understanding among young people. It will be possible for individual and 
collective projects to be run to enable young people to express their personal commitments but 
also  to  involve  them  in  the  Union’s  solidarity  actions.  Furthermore,  this  will  also  enable 
cooperation between voluntary civil services to be fostered. 

"Youth of the world" should contribute to developing mutual understanding through an open-
minded approach to the world, whilst also contributing to active engagement of young people. It 
will open up the programme to cooperation with the neighbouring countries of enlarged Europe, 
reinforcing  the  programme’s  links  with  the  acceding  countries,  the  countries  of  the  Western 
Balkans and the EFTA countries, and with other third countries. 

"Socio-educational  instructors  and  support  systems"  will  aim  to  develop  the  quality  of 
support  structures  for  young  people.  This  new  instrument,  although  primarily  aimed  at  young 
people, will also develop action in favour of all people who are engaged in youth work. It will 
help  to  support  youth  organisations  active  at  European  level  and  continue  support  for  NGOs 
under budget heading 15.07.01.02 (previously A3029). It will also support the European Youth 
Forum, an organisation which pursues aims in the general European interest. It will also develop 
exchange,  training  and  information  schemes  for  social  and  educational  workers,  projects  to 
stimulate  innovation  and  quality  and  partnerships  with  regional  or  local  entities  and,  finally, 
measures to enhance and support the programme’s structures. 

"Support for political cooperation" is aimed at promoting cooperation on youth policy, mainly 
by supporting measures conducive to a structured dialogue between young people and the people 
responsible for youth policy, cooperation with international organisations with responsibilities for 
youth and support of measures promoting a greater understanding of youth. 

3.3.3.  Increased simplification 

The future programme will be further simplified compared to the present situation. The new legal 
base  will  cover  all  the  activities  currently  being  implemented  through  two  separate  legal  bases 
(the  Youth  programme  and  the  Community  action  programme  to  promote  bodies  active  at 
European level in the field of youth). The current four budget lines will be replaced by a single 
one. Moreover, given that the new programme will promote cooperation in the field of youth, the 
general  structure  of  the  legal  base  will  be  sufficiently  open  and  provide  a  flexibility  clause, 
making it possible to adapt the programme to new emerging priorities. Finally, the management 
of the future programme will mainly be carried out in a decentralised way, which echoes one of 
the demands expressed by youth stakeholders during the consultation. 

3.3.4.  Community value added 

These  activities  have  considerable  European  added  value  because,  individually,  the  Member 
States cannot organise mobility for young people across Europe, multilateral exchanges involving 
groups of young people from various Member States and third countries or a European Voluntary 
Service.  These  measures  must  complement  those  pursued  by  the  Member  States.  The  leverage 
effect  of  such  a  programme  has  also  been  proven  since  it  helps  to  steer  and  sometimes  shape 
national policy measures. 

The  future  programme  should  not  be  isolated  from  other  Community  activities.  It  must  be 
possible to build bridges between programmes of different types, irrespective of whether they are 
in  the  field  of  culture,  sport,  training,  education,  and  justice  and  home  affairs,  and  to  support 

8 

 
 
  
 
cooperation  programmes  with  third  countries.  This  programme  will  thus  complement  other 
Community instruments. 

The  programme  will  be  implemented  with  the  principle  of  subsidiarity  being  applied  in  full, 
mainly by largely decentralising management at Member State level and providing opportunities 
for complementing Member State initiatives at national, regional and local level. 

3.4.  Anticipated impact of the new programme 

The new programme should achieve the following aims: 

– 

– 

– 

implement  40 000  projects  for  young  people  (exchanges,  youth  initiatives  and 
participation projects) for 2007-2013; 

European Voluntary Service: 10 000 volunteers a year, i.e. 70 000 for 2007-2013; 

training, information and exchange of good practice for socio-educational instructors (to 
enhance quality): 5 000 projects for 2007-2013. 

4. 

ACTIONS IN THE FIELD OF CULTURE 

4.1. 

Justification for EU Action 

Article 151.1 TEC is worded as follows: 

The  Community  shall  contribute  to  the  flowering  of  the  cultures  of  the  Member  States,  while 
respecting  their  national  and  regional  diversity  and  at  the  same  time  bringing  the  common 
cultural heritage to the fore. 

The draft Constitutional Treaty retains precisely this wording, but adds that one of the objectives 
of the Union shall be to “ensure that Europe’s cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced.” 
(Article 3.3). 

In compliance with this legal base and the principle of subsidiarity, the main goal of Community 
action  is  to  contribute  to  the  flourishing  of  shared  European  cultural  values  on  the  basis  of 
cultural  co-operation  between  artists,  cultural  operators  and  cultural  institutions11.  Community 
action therefore focuses on the promotion of multilateral European co-operation, barely touched 
upon through national or bilateral cultural policies. 

Article  151.3  TEC  also  states  that  “the  Community  and  the  Member  States  shall  foster 
cooperation  with  third  countries”  in  the  sphere  of  culture.  In  the  context  of  globalisation  and 
enlargement  of  the  European  Union,  it  is  particularly  important  that  the  Community  cultural 
programme supports cultural exchanges and cooperation with third countries - with a particular 
but not exclusive emphasis on the countries which are covered by the new neighbourhood policy. 

The  essential  added  value  of  cultural  action  at  Community  level  is  its  contribution  in  terms  of 
intercultural  dialogue,  raising  awareness  of  a  common  European  heritage,  awareness  of  the 

11 

This  has  recently  been  reaffirmed  by  the  Council,  which  considers  “that  it  is  essential  to  encourage  co-
operation and cultural exchanges in order to respect and promote the diversity of cultures in Europe and to 
improve their knowledge of one another”. Council Resolution of 21 January 2002 on the role of culture in 
the development of the European Union, Official Journal C 032 , 05/02/2002 p.2 

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diversity  and  richness  of  European  cultures  and  increasing  openness  towards  other  cultures.  In 
doing so, it contributes to the bottom-up development of a dynamic European identity, because it 
evolves in response to developments such as immigration and migration. This, however, entails 
an active and assertive cultural action on the part of the Union, able to draw on sufficient means.  

4.2.  Results of Interim Evaluation and Public Consultation 

Thanks to the Culture 2000 programme, hundreds of books have been translated, facilitating the 
circulation of contemporary authors’ works, and thousands of cultural organisations from various 
European countries - theatres, museums, professional associations, research centres, universities, 
cultural institutes, public authorities, etc. - have worked together to create and implement cultural 
and artistic projects. An independent evaluation12 of the Culture 2000 programme13, which runs 
until the end of 200614, was carried out during 2003. Together with a wide-ranging consultation 
on future EU action in the cultural sector15, it concluded that the "Culture 2000" programme was 
necessary in order to implement Article 151 of the Treaty, that the overall approach was sound 
and that it created cultural as well as European added value. 

A  number  of  the  current  programme's  central  aims  derive  naturally  from  the  Treaty  and  will 
clearly remain essential to the next programme, particularly the contribution to the flowering of 
the cultures of the Member States while respecting their national and regional diversity, and the 
highlighting of the common heritage. However, both the evaluation and the consultation revealed 
some  shortcomings  in  the  programme,  for  example  the  fact  that  the  programme  has  too  many 
different objectives, especially given the limited budget allocated to it. 

European citizens are of course the ultimate target group of all EU actions in the field of culture. 
However,  the  European  institutions  need  intermediaries  in  order  to  reach  those  citizens  and  to 
offer high quality cultural actions with a European dimension. Supporting cultural operators and 
intermediaries in their endeavours to work together beyond national boundaries is clearly a task 
that falls to the Union. The Commission has been working closely with these intermediaries and 
operators  in  an  attempt  to  better  understand  their  needs  and  the  difficulties  they  are  confronted 
with.  This  thorough  consultation  process  has  enabled  the  Commission  to  identify  three  main 
needs: 

– 

The need for enhanced financial support, especially in the long-term 

Increased  Community  support  for  multilateral  co-operation  projects  is  particularly  needed,  as 
Member  States  tend  to  prioritise  national  or  bilateral  projects.  Longer-term  financial  support  is 
also  necessary  in  order  to  develop  sustainable  co-operation  projects.  Operating  support  for 
European networks or associations also has an important added value. 

– 

12 

13 

14 
15 

The need for more information on issues related to cultural co-operation and increased 
exchange of good practices 

See footnote 3. See also Report of the European Commission on the implementation of the «Culture 2000» 
Programme in the years 2000 and 2001. COM (2003) 722 final 
Decision  508/2000/EC  of  14  February  2000  establishing  the  Culture  2000  Programme.  OJ  L  63  of 
10.3.2000, p. 1 
See footnote 1 
Forum  on  Cultural  co-operation  (European  Commission  -  November  2001);  Designing  the  future 
programme of cultural cooperation for the European Union after 2006: Public consultation (May-July 2003) 

10 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
There is a real need for more up-to-date and practical information on cultural co-operation. Better 
dissemination  of  good  practices  would  have  real  added  value.  The  lack  of  research  concerning 
cultural co-operation in Europe is a particular handicap. 

– 

The need for a more flexible, more focused and more visible Community programme 

Operators  expressed  the  fact  that  the  division  into  different  cultural  sectors  or  activities  of  the 
programme “Culture 2000” was a constraint for them, as some multidisciplinary projects do not 
fall neatly into pre-determined categories. 

4.3.  EU action post 2006 

The  Commission  intends  to  propose  a  programme  that  will  focus  on  the  three  main  objectives 
identified by the Parliament, the Council and the cultural sector itself, namely: 

– 

– 

– 

the transnational mobility of people working in the cultural sector; 

the transnational circulation of works of art (including immaterial works, such as music); 

intercultural dialogue. 

Projects supported by the programme should be of sufficient scope and ensure maximum added 
value  at  European  level.  Each  activity  supported  by  the  programme  will  therefore  have  to 
combine at least two of these policy goals. Three strands of action are envisaged: 

4.3.1.  First strand: direct support for cultural co-operation projects 

The  funding  of  multilateral  co-operation  projects  of  all  kinds  and  formats  is  essential  as  it 
supports concrete actions that are highly visible to citizens. In this context, the new programme 
will fund projects developed by cultural co-operation focal points (CCFP), cultural co-operation 
actions  and  special  actions.  CCFP  will  gather  operators  from  one  or  more  sectors  to  develop 
multi-annual cultural actions. For example, support will be given to CCFP for initiating artistic 
projects involving operators from different countries. Festivals and theatres, dance companies and 
concert  organisations  will  be  able  to  work  together  beyond  their  traditional  boundaries  on  a 
structured and long-lasting basis. 

In  order  to  complement  the  multi-annual  support  to  CCFP,  grants  will  be  allocated  to  annual 
Cultural  co-operation  actions  with  high  cultural  and  European  added  value.  These  projects, 
developed by European cultural operators from one or more sectors, will promote innovation and 
creativity. Projects aiming at exploring new ways of co-operation with a view to developing them 
in a longer term will be encouraged. Such actions can have a direct and positive effect on many 
different categories of people. For example, support will be given to co-operation actions aimed 
at  facilitating  the  transnational  circulation  of  artists  and  works  of  art  or  to  projects  targeting 
people with disabilities or bringing so-called minority cultures to the fore. 

Substantial  in  scale  and  scope,  the  special  actions  should  strike  a  significant  chord  with  the 
citizens,  increasing  their  sense  of  belonging  to  the  Union  as  well  as  making  them  aware  of  its 
cultural diversity. They will also give more visibility to EU cultural intervention both inside and 
outside the EU. A well known example would be the European Capitals of Culture, which have 
become a very successful initiative in terms of impact and visibility to the citizens of Europe. 

11 

 
 
  
 
4.3.2.  Second strand: support for European cultural co-operation organisations 

Direct support to co-operation projects must be completed with a more structural intervention in 
favour of co-operation, going beyond a mere project-oriented approach. That is the reason why 
the  successor  programme  of  Culture  2000  should  help  cover  the  operating  costs  of  cultural 
organisations whose work is in the European interest or who act as « ambassadors » of European 
culture  in  the  world.  These  entities  are  key  players  in  the  emergence  of  a  common  European 
cultural area but generally do not receive funding from national authorities. Action by the Union 
brings clear added value here. 

These  networks  encourage  exchanges  between  cultural  organisations  in  different  European 
countries, identify the needs of the European artistic community, act as an interface between the 
sector and the European institutions and disseminate useful and reliable information on the sector. 
They  associate  —  all  disciplines  taken  together  —  several  tens  of  thousands  of  culture 
professionals in Europe. 

4.3.3.  Third strand: support for studies and information on cultural co-operation issues 

Accessible, up-to-date information on legal, fiscal and administrative issues related to European 
co-operation  or  on  potential  co-operation  partners  will  enable  cultural  operators  and  decision-
makers to base their decisions on solid grounds. Better knowledge will facilitate the emergence of 
new co-operation projects. In particular, support will be given to the development of a web-based 
tool to assist the development of transnational cultural co-operation. 

4.4. 

Simplification 

As  a  comprehensive  and  coherent  tool  in  favour  of  cultural  co-operation,  the  new  Culture 
Programme is also planned to contribute significantly to creating more simplicity in Community 
instruments, both in legal and management terms. The legislative decision (including the annex) 
will  be  written  with  the  objective  of  concision,  simplicity  and  flexibility.  The  new  Culture 
programme will consist of one legal base as opposed to the current two, and of one budget line 
compared to the current five. The programme will also be more user-friendly. It will be open to 
all  cultural  and  artistic  fields,  without  predetermined  categories,  and  to  a  greater  variety  of 
cultural operators, ranging from national or local administrations to networks and cultural sector 
companies.  

4.5.  Targets and expected impacts of the new programme 

The  new  programme  will  actively  contribute  to  the  bottom-up  development  of  a  European 
identity,  by  giving  cultural  operators  and  citizens  more  opportunities  to  create  networks,  to 
implement projects, to be more mobile and to enhance the cultural dialogue within Europe and 
with other parts of the world. In order to reach these goals, a critical mass must be reached. The 
programme will contain precise targets in terms of cultural outputs, covering both the number of 
actions undertaken and the number of people affected. This should include: 

– 

– 

– 

around  1400  cultural  co-operation  projects  over  the  period  2007-2013,  including  80 
multi-annual cultural co-operation focal points; 

each year, around 50 networks or organisations of European interest; 

a  series  of  targeted  studies,  together  with  actions  for  collating  statistics  and 
disseminating information. 

12 

 
 
  
 
The overall result will be hundreds of European cultural operators working together each year on 
a transnational basis and reaching millions of citizens. 

5. 

ACTIONS IN THE AUDIOVISUAL SECTOR 

5.1. 

Justification for EU action 

The social and cultural impact of the audiovisual sector exceeds that of any other medium. This 
impact  is  its  defining  feature  and  is  evident  from  the  role  of  television  alone.  Household 
penetration of television sets in Europe is of the order of 98% and the average European watches 
more than three hours of television a day. For children the figure is even higher. 

The  audiovisual  media  play  a  fundamental  role  in  the  development  and  transmission  of  social 
values. The audiovisual sector has a major influence on what citizens know, believe and feel and 
plays a crucial role in the transmission, development and even construction of cultural identities. 
This is true above all with regard to children and young people. An increased circulation of films 
and  other  audiovisual  works  has  also  proved  to  be  an  important  means  of  strengthening 
intercultural dialogue. 

It is essentially for this reason that the European Community has implemented a specific policy 
for  the  audiovisual  sector  since  1989.  Article  151.2  of  the  TEC  states  that  action  by  the 
Community shall be aimed at supporting and supplementing the action of the Member States in 
the  area  of  artistic  and  literary  creation,  including  in  the  audiovisual  sector.  This  wording  is 
retained in the draft Constitutional Treaty. Alongside a single market for television broadcasting 
through the “Television Without Frontiers” Directive, the EU has taken measures to promote the 
European audiovisual industry16 which is a unique tool for the exchange of ideas. If an enlarging 
and  ever  more  diverse  Union  is  to  flourish,  there  must  be  an  interaction  between  the  public 
opinions  of  its  Member  States,  and  an  exchange  of  knowledge  across  borders  on  social  and 
cultural matters needs to emerge. 

The audiovisual sector has a huge cultural impact, but cannot realize its creative potential without 
reinforcing  its  competitiveness.  The  average  share  of  European  audiovisual  works  in  European 
markets ranges between 40% and 45% for TV fiction, and is around 30% for the cinema and 20% 
for  video  and  DVD.  This  European  market  share  consists  mostly  of  audiovisual  works  sold  in 
their  national  home  markets:  the  part  of  the  European  market  share  consisting  of  works  selling 
outside their national markets (non-national) is considerably smaller (usually less than one-third 
of the European total market share)17. 

EU  intervention  in  the  audiovisual  sector  is  therefore  part  of  a  strategy  to  give  Europeans  a 
choice. Unless Europeans are able to watch stories, dramas, documentaries and other works that 
reflect the reality of their own lives and histories, as well as those of their neighbours, they will 
cease to recognise and understand them fully. And in order for such works to be readily available 
and  of  sufficient  quality,  the  acquisition  and  improvement  of  skills  of  professionals,  the 
development  of  audiovisual  projects  with  an  European  dimension  and  the  circulation  and 

16 
 Council Directive of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation 
or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities (89/552/EEC) 
as amended by Directive 97/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 1997  
17 

Commission estimates based on European Audiovisual Observatory statistics. (See http://www.obs.coe.int/ 
and  in  particular  http://www.obs.coe.int/about/oea/pr/mif2003.html.en).  The  estimates  cover:  broadcasting 
time for TV fiction; theatre admissions for cinema; sales and renting for video cassette and DVD 

13 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
promotion of works must be supported by the EU, whilst production support schemes should be 
left to the Member States. 

Finally, EU action needs to be put in the context of enlargement and globalisation. In this respect 
it is also important that countries such as EU candidates, the Balkans and those involved in the 
European  Neighbourhood  Policy  should  have  the  maximum  possible  engagement  with  EU 
programmes in this area. 

5.2. 

Results of Interim Evaluation and Public Consultation 

Community support measures in favour of the European audiovisual industry currently take the 
form of the MEDIA Plus and MEDIA Training Programmes, due to end in 200618. The mid-term 
evaluation  of  the  current  MEDIA  Programmes  and  the  Preparatory  action  “i2i  Audiovisual: 
Growth  and  Audiovisual”19  confirmed  that  the  programme  has  had  a  positive  effect  on  the 
distribution of European works on the European and international markets. It has also generated 
more  co-operation  among  European  operators,  thereby  providing  European  added  value  for  the 
sector. 

in 

intervention  operates 

Community 
line  with  changing  needs  (newcomers,  funding, 
consolidation of the industrial base, international expansion), which are increasingly at the heart 
of the challenges faced by European professionals. The preparatory action I2I for the SMEs has 
been  effective  in  contributing  to  the  construction  of  financial  plans  for  the  companies. 
Community action has had an added value for the sector. In respect of training, the results have 
shown the need for intervention at Community level to increase the level of professional know-
how and skills within the European audiovisual sector. In the Development sector, the impact on 
SMEs active in the sector has been positive, also in terms of enabling them to formulate better 
business plans. It has guaranteed reinvestments in new productions. 

The  challenge  for  the  Community  with  regards  to  designing  a  new  action  for  the  audiovisual 
industry  lies  in  overcoming  the  obstacles  that  prevent  European  audiovisual  works  from 
circulating outside their own territories and in overcoming the fragmentation of markets. Only by 
acquiring  the  necessary  skills  to  develop  films  and  other  audiovisual  works  with  a  European 
dimension,  and  by  distributing,  promoting  (at  festivals  and  markets)  and  broadcasting  more 
audiovisual  works  from  European  countries  will  the  European  audiovisual  industry  make  it 
possible  for  millions  of  Europeans  to  view  works  reflecting  their  cultures  and  those  of  their 
neighbours. 

In view of the preparation of MEDIA 2007, a single programme to replace the two current ones, 
the  Commission  consulted  widely  on  the  sector’s  needs.  The  results  show  a  need  for  further 
Community action to respond to emerging needs, namely the need for the acquisition of skills for 
the creation of films and other audiovisual works with a European dimension, together with the 
need to address an insufficient circulation of non-national audiovisual works within the European 
Union,  a  situation  that  is  even  more  acute  in  the  acceding  countries  where  the  audiovisual 
industry has virtually disappeared at a time when shared cultural references are vital. 

MEDIA  2007  should  continue  to  target  its  actions  on  the  pre  and  post-production  phases,  but 
these actions will change in the light of technological (mainly digital) and market evolution. The 
European audiovisual sector is mainly made up of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). 

18 
19 

 See footnote 1. 
See footnote 3 

14 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
MEDIA  2007  should  therefore  aim  to  create  an  environment  adapted  in  particular  to  SMEs 
facilitating  the  creation  and  circulation  of  non-national  audiovisual  works.  In  addition,  MEDIA 
2007 should include innovative actions for facilitating access to financing for SMEs. 

5.3. 

EU Action post 2006 

MEDIA 2007 will have as global objectives to: 

– 

– 

– 

Preserve and enhance European cultural diversity and audiovisual heritage and promote 
inter-cultural dialogue and understanding; 

Increase the circulation of European audiovisual works inside and outside the European 
Union; 

Strengthen the competitiveness of the European audiovisual sector in the framework of 
an open and competitive market. 

It will have the following operational objectives and actions. 

5.3.1.  Pre-production 

– 

Acquiring skills and competence: 

The  programme  will  support  projects  aimed  at  improving  the  creative,  management,  and 
entrepreneurial  skills  of  European  audiovisual  professionals  and/or  at  adapting  their  technical 
skills to digital technologies. This will include mobility measures for film school students. It will 
aim  to  encourage  a  European  dimension  in  promoting  networking  of  professionals  as  well  as 
individual  projects.  Finally  it  will  promote  a  European  strategy  regarding  co-operation  of 
professionals, both for co-productions and the elaboration of business plans. 

In  addition,  special  scholarships  for  professionals  from  the  new  Member  States  will  be 
established,  to  help  them  meet  the  challenges  of  the  European  market  and  help  narrow  the  gap 
between  countries  with  high  production  capacities  and  those  with  low  production  capacities 
and/or restricted linguistic areas. 

– 

Development: 

The programme will support independent SMEs in the documentary, animation and drama genres 
as  well  as  in  multimedia.  It  will  encourage  companies  to  elaborate  international  promotion  and 
marketing  strategies  for  their  projects  from  the  pre-production phase.  The  programme  will  also 
assist  companies  in  elaborating  sound  financial  plans  and  facilitate  access  to  credit  for 
independent  SMEs.  Indirect  costs  associated  with  the  private  funding  of  production  projects 
presented by SMEs (such as financial and insurance costs or completion guarantees) may also be 
covered. 

The  programme  will  also  provide  grants  to  independent  production  companies  for  the 
development of single projects. It will support the development of a catalogue of works both for 
companies  with  a  limited  investment  capacity  and  for  companies  with  higher  investment 
capacity.  Support  will  be  provided  for  the  development  of  sound  financial  plans  related  to  the 
works and the catalogue of works. 

A holistic approach to the creation of works, for example incorporating from the outset essential 
components such as distribution and the film music will be encouraged. 

15 

 
 
  
 
5.3.2.  Post-production 

– 

Distribution: 

Community action will concentrate its efforts on transnational distribution support, in line with 
the  principle  of  subsidiarity  and  as  a  complementary  approach  to  Member  State  support 
mechanisms. Support for the distribution phase (cinema, TV, video, DVD and on-line) raises the 
competitiveness of the industry by assisting it to take advantage of the single market. 

The new programme will strengthen the European distribution sector by encouraging investment 
in  production,  acquisition,  marketing  and  promotion  of  non-national  European  works  and  by 
encouraging  co-ordinated  marketing  strategies  between  the  different  actors  (distributors,  sales 
agents, producers, exhibitors…). It will improve the circulation of  European  non-national films 
by encouraging their export, distribution and cinema exhibition. Furthermore, it will promote the 
transnational circulation of audiovisual works by independent production companies. It will cover 
the distribution of derived works with high artistic content (such as film music). 

The programme will build on the results achieved through the actions set up under the MEDIA 
Plus Programme, namely the automatic scheme and the selective scheme for distributors as well 
as groupings of distributors. In addition it will support distribution companies for catalogues of 
works with lower commercial potential, with a view to promoting cultural diversity. 

Co-ordination  between  producers,  distributors  and  sales  agents  will  be  promoted  by  supporting 
the creation of promotional packages for European audiovisual works. 

Action  will  be  implemented  to  support  the  digitisation  of  European  audiovisual  works.  In 
particular an automatic scheme for the creation of digital prints of European non-national films 
will be put in place. Support will also be granted for dubbing, subtitling and multilingual copies 
as a means of enhancing cultural diversity. Finally, support to digital exhibition will be foreseen 
in terms of facilitating access to financing for investments in digital equipment. 

– 

Promotion: 

Film  and  television  festivals  are  a  highly  effective  means  of  promoting  European  works.  The 
programme  will  therefore  support  the  promotion  of  European  audiovisual  works  through  these 
professional  markets.  It  will  support  co-operation  and  co-ordination  by  European  operators  in 
order  to  encourage  a  European  promotion  strategy.  Finally  the  programme  will  ensure  that 
festivals play a full role in the formulation of cultural policy and in audience education. 

The  actions  foreseen  include  ensuring  access  for  professionals  to  European  and  International 
audiovisual markets; guaranteeing the broadest possible access of the European and international 
public  to  Europe’s  diverse  cultures;  encouraging  common  actions  between  national  promotion 
organisations as well as promoting the European audiovisual heritage. 

– 

Pilot Projects/Digital technology 

Innovation is vital to ensure the widest choice for the audience at the end of the audiovisual value 
chain. In this respect, the pilot projects have proved to be a successful test bed. Whilst certain of 
the areas previously covered have now been introduced into the programme, this “test laboratory” 
remains vital. The new programme will focus on those areas considered by the sector as likely to 
be influenced by the use of new information and communication technologies. The results of the 
pilot projects will be publicised widely in order to encourage the dissemination of best practices. 

16 

 
 
  
 
5.4. 

 Simplification 

The new programme for support to the European audiovisual sector also contributes significantly 
to the aim of simplification of Community instruments. 

 The  integration  of  the  two  current  MEDIA  programmes  into  a  single  programme  reflects  the 
needs  of  the  sector  and  notably  the  heterogeneous  nature  of  the  European  markets,  in  socio-
economic,  financial,  and  regulatory  terms.  It  also  meets  the  need  for  simplification  and 
integration of the different components of the European audiovisual value chain.  

Furthermore,  the  management  of  the  programme  will  be  simpler  from  a  Commission  point  of 
view.  The  programme  is  also  planned  to  be  made  more  user-friendly  in  terms  of  rules  and 
procedures, thereby echoing the results of the public consultation. Specific simplifications could 
be  envisaged,  including  in  the  context  of  the  Financial  Regulation,  such  as:  (i)  making  the 
verification  of  the  financial  capacity  of  the  applicant  proportional  to  the  amount  of  the  subsidy 
requested; (ii) introducing a clause on the proportionality of the financial and administrative rules 
compared to the size of the grant and/or capacity, for example as regards reporting requirements.  

5.5. 

Targets and expected impact of the new programme 

The  new  programme  will  have  a  series  of  precise  targets  in  terms  of  cultural  outputs,  covering 
both  the  number  of  actions  undertaken  and  citizens  affected.  These  targets  should  include  the 
following: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Action  to  bring  together  1500  audiovisual  operators  each  year,  with  the  potential  to 
reach reaching several millions of citizens; 

Increase  the  market  share  of  European  films  distributed  outside  their  country  of  origin 
from the current 11% to 20% in 201320; 

Double  the  number  of  screens  exhibiting  European  non  national  films,  with  particular 
attention to a young audience; 

Enable 40 European film academies to co-operate for the improvement of skill and the 
exchanges of know-how at European level; 

Double  the  number  of  audiovisual  projects  supported,  with  particular  attention  to  co-
productions; 

Double the number of European distribution campaigns. 

6. 

CIVIC PARTICIPATION 

The  European  Commission  has  for  many  years  been  managing  different  actions  aimed  at 
fostering  civic  participation  in  particular  at  the  transnational  level.  In  order  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  new  Financial  Regulation21,  these  actions  have  been  brought  together  in  a 

Refers to non-national European share of the EU market. North American films currently occupy some 70% 

20 
of the market. Film revenue is directly proportional to the number of viewers. 
21 
 The  Financial  Regulation  applicable  to  the  general  budget  of  the  European  Communities:  Council 
Regulation  (EC,  Euratom)  No  1605/2002  of  25.06.2002.  This  now  requires  all  Community  expenditure  to  have  a 
legal base. The new programme provides this for the actions concerned. 

17 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
new  programme22  adopted  on  26  January  2004.  The  actions  contained  in  the  programme  have 
proved their added value at European level as well as their effectiveness in meeting the specific 
needs  of  citizens  engaged  in  civil  society  organisations  (mostly  on  a  voluntary  and  honorary 
basis). They are directly geared towards civil society, widely accepted by citizens and offer good 
value  for  money.  Town  twinning,  for  example,  allows  hundreds  of  thousands  of  citizens  every 
year  from  different  countries  to  meet  and  learn  about  each  other's  culture,  history  and  socio-
economic reality. 

The objectives of the programme are to promote the values and objectives of the Union, to bring 
citizens  closer  to  the  EU  and  its  institutions  and  to  encourage  them  to  engage  more  frequently 
with  its  institutions,  to  involve  citizens  closely  in  reflection  and  discussion  on  the  future  of 
Europe, to intensify links between citizens from different Member States and to stimulate active 
citizenship. 

In  addition  to  European  umbrella  organisations  the  programme  is  oriented  towards  non-
governmental  organisations,  associations  and  federations  of  European  interest  or  cross-industry 
trade  unions,  including  grassroots  and  local  community  organisations.  Support  may  also  be 
granted  to  bodies  pursuing  an  aim  of  general  European  interest  in  the  field  of  active  European 
citizenship, including “think tanks”. 

Article  46  of  the  draft  Constitutional  Treaty  on  participatory  democracy  underpins  these 
objectives.  It  provides,  inter  alia,  that  the  institutions  of  the  Union  should  give  citizens  and 
representative  associations  the  opportunity  to  exchange  views  in  all  areas  of  Union  action.  The 
Union  institutions  should  also  maintain  an  open,  transparent  and  regular  dialogue  with 
representative associations and civil society. 

The  civic  participation  programme  which  has  just  been  launched  will  end  with  the  current 
financial perspectives at the end of 2006, but in the light of the challenges outlined in this paper, 
it  is  clear  that  further  action  will  be  needed.  However,  it  would  be  premature  at  this  stage  to 
outline  specific  proposals  for  a  post-2006  programme.  A  legislative  proposal  will  be  tabled  in 
early 2005 on the basis of an initial appraisal of the new programme and of the outcome of the 
European constitutional debate. 

7. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The Commission is of the view that the proposals outlined here are a necessary contribution to 
ensuring the successful development of the Union in the next programming period and beyond. In 
particular, they are necessary to ensure that there are opportunities to experience what citizenship 
of the Union is about in practice. 

The  Commission  will  therefore  put  these  forward  in  the  summer  of  this  year  as  part  of  the 
package of legislative proposals to implement the political project outlined in its Communication 
“Building our common Future: Policy challenges and Budgetary means of the Enlarged Union 
2007-2013”. 

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participation). 

 OJ  L  30 of 4.2.2004, p. 6. Community  Action  Programme  to  promote  active  European  citizenship (civic 

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