2007/320/EC: Commission Decision of 22 March 2007 setting up the Member States’ Expert Group on Digitisation and Digital Preservation
Date: 2007-03-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: access to information, cultural heritage, cultural policy, digital technology, digitisation, self-employed person

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COMMISSION DECISION

of 22 March 2007
setting up the Member States’ Expert Group on Digitisation and Digital Preservation

(2007/320/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

and digital preservation (4) (hereinafter referred to as the
to
invite
Council Conclusions),
contribute to improved policy co-ordination in these
domains, in particular through the creation of a group
of Member States’ experts.

the Commission

Whereas:

(6) With a

view to achieving

the
expertise of
Commission needs
specialists from the Member States in an advisory group.

to call upon the

these objectives,

(7)

(8)

(9)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Article 157 of the Treaty assigns the Community and the
Member States the task of ensuring that the conditions
necessary for the competitiveness of the Community's
the
industry
Community is to contribute to the flowering of
the
the Member States, while respecting their
cultures of
national and regional diversity and at
the same time
bringing the common cultural heritage to the fore.

exist. Article

provides

151

that

The Communication from the Commission entitled
‘i2010 — A European Information Society for growth
and employment’ (1) announced a flagship initiative on
digital libraries.

The Communication from the Commission entitled
‘i2010: Digital Libraries’ (2)
launched an initiative on
digital libraries consisting of actions in the areas of digi-
tisation, online accessibility and digital preservation of
cultural material and scientific information.

The Commission Recommendation 2006/585/EC of 24
August 2006 on the digitisation and online accessibility
of cultural material and digital preservation (3)
(here-
inafter referred to as the Commission Recommendation)
calls on Member States to take action to improve their
policies in these areas.

the implementation of

Recommendation
It

The group should contribute to monitoring progress and
the
assessing the impact of
Commission
Council
co-ordination at
should also assist
Conclusions.
European level and exchange information and good
practices about Member States’ policies on the digiti-
sation and online accessibility of cultural material and
digital preservation.

and

the

It is therefore necessary to set up a Member States’ Expert
Group on Digitisation and Digital Preservation and to
define its tasks and its structure.

The group should be composed of representatives from
the Member States with competence
field
concerned. The Commission should have the possibility
to invite observers,
in particular from other European
countries and international organisations, or experts
with specific competence in a subject on the agenda of
the group, in order to achieve effective European coop-
eration.

in the

(5)

The Council Conclusions of 13 November 2006 on the
digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material

(1) COM(2005) 229 final.
(2) COM(2005) 465 final.
(3) OJ L 236, 31.8.2006, p. 28.

(10)

Rules on disclosure of
information by members of
the group should be provided for, without prejudice to
the Commission’s rules on security as set out in the
Annex to Commission Decision 2001/844/EC, ECSC,
Euratom (5).

(4) OJ C 297, 7.12.2006, p. 1.
(5) OJ L 317, 3.12.2001, p. 1. Decision as last amended by Decision

2006/548/EC, Euratom (OJ L 215, 5.8.2006, p. 38).

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(11)

Personal data relating to members of the group should
be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) No
45/2001 of
the
the European Parliament
Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of
individuals with regard to the processing of personal
data by the Community institutions and bodies and on
the free movement of such data (1).

and of

In implementing the above mentioned tasks, the group will take
into account the work carried out by other groups set up by the
Commission in the area of digitisation and digital preservation.

(12)

It is appropriate to fix a period for the application of this
Decision. The Commission will in due time consider the
advisability of an extension,

The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating
to the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material
and digital preservation.

Article 3

Consultation

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Member States’ Expert Group on Digitisation and
Digital Preservation
The group of experts ‘Member States’ Expert Group on Digiti-
sation and Digital Preservation’, hereinafter referred to as ‘the
group’, is hereby set up with effect from the date of adoption of
this Decision.

Article 2

Task

The group’s tasks shall be:

Article 4

Membership — Appointment

The group shall normally be composed of up to two
1.
representatives appointed by each Member State.
In duly
justified circumstances, Member States may appoint a third
representative. Members
into
shall be
account their competence in the domains of digitisation and
online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation.

appointed taking

2. Member States may appoint alternate members for the
members of the group in equal numbers and on the same
conditions as the members to replace members who are absent.

3. Members of the group shall remain in office until such
time as they are replaced or their mandate is renewed.

(a)

to monitor progress and assess the impact of the implemen-
tation of the Commission Recommendation of 24 August
2006 on the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural
material and digital preservation and of
the Council
Conclusions of 13 November 2006 on the digitisation
and online accessibility of cultural material and digital
preservation;

4. Members who are no longer capable of contributing effec-
tively to the group’s deliberations, who resign or who do not
comply with the conditions set out in paragraph 3 of this
Article, or Article 287 of the Treaty may be replaced.

(b) to provide a forum for cooperation between Member State
bodies and the Commission at European level and to
exchange information and good practices of Member
States’ policies and strategies on the digitisation and
online accessibility of cultural material and digital preser-
vation.

5.
The names of members shall be collected, processed and
published in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001. The
names of members shall be published on the i2010 Digital
libraries website (2).

(2) http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/digital_libraries/

(1) OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

index_en.htm

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Article 5

Operation

The Commission may publish in the original language of
7.
the document concerned, any summary, conclusion, or partial
conclusion or working document of the group.

1.

The group shall be chaired by the Commission.

In agreement with the Commission, sub-groups may be
2.
set up to examine specific questions under
the terms of
reference established by the group. Such sub-groups shall be
dissolved as soon as their mandates are fulfilled.

The Commission’s representative may ask observers,

in
3.
from other European countries and international
particular
organisations, or experts with specific
competence on a
subject on the agenda to participate in the group’s or sub-
group’s deliberations as appropriate for achieving effective
European cooperation.

Information obtained by participating in the deliberations
4.
of a group or sub-group shall not be divulged if, in the opinion
of
information relates to confidential
matters.

the Commission,

that

Article 6

Meeting expenses

The Commission shall reimburse travel and, where appropriate,
subsistence expenses for members, experts and observers in
connection with the group’s activities in accordance with the
Commission’s rules on the compensation of external experts.
Reimbursement of expenses for members is limited to one
expert per Member State.

The members, experts and observers shall not be remunerated
for the services they render.

Meeting expenses are reimbursed within the limits of the annual
budget allocated to the group by the responsible Commission
services.

5.
The group and its sub-groups shall normally meet on
Commission premises in accordance with the procedures and
schedule established by it. The Commission shall provide sec-
retarial services. Other Commission officials with an interest in
the proceedings may attend meetings of the group and its sub-
groups.

6.
The group shall adopt its rules of procedure on the basis
of the standard rules of procedure adopted by the Commission.

Article 7

Applicability

This Decision shall apply until 31 December 2010.

Done at Brussels, 22 March 2007.

For the Commission

Viviane REDING
Member of the Commission