Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty concerning the common position of the Council on the adoption of a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008)
Date: 2006-11-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European cultural event, cultural cooperation, cultural pluralism, cultural policy, public awareness campaign

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 14.11.2006 
COM(2006) 705 final 

2005/0203(COD) 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty 

concerning the 

common position of the Council on the adoption of a Decision of the European 
Parliament and of the Council concerning the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 
(2008) 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
 
 
2005/0203(COD) 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

pursuant to the second subparagraph of Article 251 (2) of the EC Treaty 

concerning the 

common position of the Council on the adoption of a Decision of the European 
Parliament and of the Council concerning the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 
(2008) 

1. 

BACKGROUND 

Date of transmission of the proposal to the EP and the Council 
(document COM(2005) 467 final – 2005/0203(COD)): 

6 October 2005 

Date of the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee: 

20 April 2006 

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

27 April 2006 

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

1 June 2006 

Date of the revised proposal of the Commission (document COM(2006) 
492 final):  

5 September 2006 

Date of adoption of the common position: 

13 November 2006 

2. 

OBJECTIVE OF THE COMMISSION PROPOSAL 

Based  on  Treaty  Article  151,  the  proposal  is  to  declare  2008  to  be  the  European  Year  of 
Intercultural Dialogue.  

Intercultural  dialogue  is  intimately  linked  to  the  fundamental  ambition  underlying  the 
construction of Europe, namely to bring together the peoples of Europe. It should therefore be 
a  priority  throughout  the  EU  to  call  upon  European  citizens,  and  all  those  living  in  the 
European Union, to play a full part in managing our diversity, which is enriched by all new 
migration  flows,  greater  mobility  as  well  as  by  the  changes  and  additions  brought  about  by 
globalisation.  

Moreover, intercultural dialogue is an instrument which could facilitate the implementation of 
a series of strategic priorities for the Union. 

A European Year devoted to intercultural dialogue constitutes a unique awareness-raising tool 
for affirming this priority and involving citizens. It is intended to provide momentum to what 
should be a long-lasting, sustainable process. 

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3. 

COMMENTS ON THE COMMON POSITION 

The  common  position  adopted  by  the  Council  on  13  November  2006  by  unanimity  is  the 
result of negotiations between the three institutions and represents a compromise acceptable 
for  all  of  them.  In  comparison  with  the  amended  proposal  of  the  Commission,  which  itself 
accepted  a  large  number  of  amendments  voted  by  the  European  Parliament  in  first  reading, 
the changes are minor and are of technical and linguistic character.  

4. 

CONCLUSION 

The  Commission  considers  that  the  common  position  adopted  on  13  November  2006  by 
unanimity is appropriate and it can therefore support it. 

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