Opinion of the Commission pursuant to the third subparagraph, point (c), of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty, on the amendments proposed by the European Parliament to the common position adopted by the Council concerning the proposal for a Decision establishing the Culture 2007 programme (2007-2013) (COM(2004) 469 final) amending the proposal of the Commission pursuant to Article 250 (2) of the EC Treaty
Date: 2006-11-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, cultural policy

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 10.11.2006 
COM(2006) 682 final 

2004/0150 (COD) 

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION 

pursuant to the third subparagraph, point (c), of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty, on the 
amendments proposed by the European Parliament to the common position adopted by 
the Council  

concerning 

the proposal for a Decision establishing the Culture 2007 programme (2007-2013) 
(COM(2004) 469 final) 

AMENDING THE PROPOSAL OF THE COMMISSION  
pursuant to Article 250 (2) of the EC Treaty 

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2004/0150 (COD) 

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION 

pursuant to the third subparagraph, point (c), of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty, on the 
amendments proposed by the European Parliament to the common position adopted by 
the Council  

concerning 

the proposal for a Decision establishing the Culture 2007 programme (2007-2013) 
(COM(2004) 469 final) 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Pursuant  to  the  third  subparagraph,  point  (c),  of  Article  251  (2)  of  the  EC  Treaty,  the 
Commission delivers an opinion on the amendments proposed by the European Parliament in 
second reading. The position of the Commission on the amendments adopted by the European 
Parliament is as follows. 

2. 

BACKGROUND 

Date of transmission of the proposal to the EP and the Council 
(document COM(2004) 469 final – 2004/0150(COD)): 

15 July 2004 

Date of the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions: 

23 February 2005 

Date of the opinion of the European Parliament, first reading: 

25 October 2005 

Date of the political agreement  

Date of adoption of the common position: 

Date of the opinion, second reading: 

18 May 2006 

18 July 2006 

25 October 2006 

3. 

OBJECTIVE OF THE COMMISSION PROPOSAL 

The purpose of the Commission’s proposal is to establish a programme which can 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 seek to promote multilateral 
cooperation within Europe as well as contribute to the bottom-up development of a European 
identity, thanks to interactions between citizens. 

In comparison with the programmes that preceded it, the proposed programme goes further in 
the reinforcement of cultural cooperation by focussing the EU action on three main objectives 
which  have  been  identified  as  having  strong  European  added  value:  the  trans-national 
mobility of people working in the cultural sector, the trans-national circulation of works of art 
as well as of artistic and cultural products and intercultural dialogue.  

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It consists of three strands: i) direct support for cultural co-operation projects, ii) support for 
European  cultural  co-operation  organisations  and  iii)  support  for  studies  and  for  collecting 
and disseminating information in the field of cultural co-operation. 

4. 

OPINION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE AMENDMENTS ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT 

The Commission accepts the three amendments proposed by the European Parliament. These 
amendments are the result of a global compromise between the European Parliament and the 
Council  in  view  of  the  second  reading.  They  are  in  line  with  the  objectives  of  the  initial 
proposal of the Commission. 

The  first  amendment  underlines  the  need  already  expressed  in  the  initial  proposal  to  go 
beyond  a  mere  project-approach  and  to  support  the  permanent  activities  of  cultural 
organisations active at the European level. 

The second amendment limits the comitology procedure to one sub-strand of the programme 
(i.e.  multi-annual  cooperation  projects)  and  is  much  closer  to  the  initial  proposal  of  the 
Commission than the Council common position. The comitology procedure will apply neither 
to  short  duration  projects  (strand  1.2,  cooperation  measures)  not  to  cultural  organisations 
(strand 2) so as to avoid a longer internal decision-making procedure for the implementation 
of the programme with no real added value.  

Finally, the third amendment will reduce the number of days between the publication of the 
Decision in the Official Journal and its entry into force, from 20 to just one, which will speed 
up the implementation of the programme. 

5. 

CONCLUSION 

Pursuant to Article 250 (2) of the EC Treaty, the Commission alters its proposal as indicated 
above. 

6. 

STATEMENT OF THE COMMISSION  

The  Commission  has  made  a  unilateral  statement  following  the  adoption  of  the  common 
position (see Annex). 

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ANNEX  

Commission statement regarding the budget envelope 

The Commission would like to draw the attention of the legislative Authority to the need to 
have  the  financial  envelope  mentioned  in  the  legal  act  establishing  the  Culture  programme 
(2007-2013) written in current prices, at the latest when it is published in the Official Journal. 
This corresponds to the usual budgetary practice and enables to ensure in a transparent way 
that the Decision of the legislative Authority is adhered to. For the new Culture programme, 
the financial envelope is EUR 400 million in current prices. 

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