Decision No 1350/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 concerning the European Year of Creativity and Innovation (2009) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2008-12-16
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: EU action, European cultural event, continuing education, education, innovation, public awareness campaign

24.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 348/115

DECISION No 1350/2008/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 16 December 2008

concerning the European Year of Creativity and Innovation (2009)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

(4)

Having regard to the Treaty
establishing the European
Community, and in particular Articles 149 and 150 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

(5)

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and
Social Committee (1),

Having regard to the opinion of
Regions (2),

the Committee of

the

Acting in accordance with the procedure
Article 251 of the Treaty (3),

laid down in

(6)

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Europe needs to strengthen its capacity for creativity and
innovation for social and economic reasons in order to
respond effectively to the development of the knowledge
society:
innovative capacity is closely linked with crea­
tivity as a personal attribute, and to be harnessed to full
advantage it needs to be widely disseminated throughout
the population. This requires an approach based on
lifelong learning.

Education and training systems should cater sufficiently
and at all appropriate levels for the development of key
competences to support creativity and innovation, with a
view to finding innovative and original solutions in
personal, occupational and social life.

(7)

(8)

The Lisbon European Council of 23 and 24 March 2000
concluded that ‘a European framework should define the
new basic skills to be provided through lifelong learning’
as a key measure in Europe's response to ‘globalisation
to knowledge-based economies’, and
and the
emphasised that ‘people are Europe's main asset’.

shift

The Commission Communication of 21 November 2001
entitled ‘Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a
Reality’ and the
subsequent Council Resolution of
27 June 2002 on lifelong learning (4)
identified the
‘the new basic skills’ as a priority and
provision of
stressed that ‘lifelong learning must cover learning from
pre-school age to that of post-retirement’.

of

the

2006/962/EC

Recommendation
European
Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006
on key competences for lifelong learning (5)
identified
‘mathematical
various key competences,
competence and basic competences in science and tech­
‘digital competence’, a ‘sense
nology’,
‘cultural awareness
of
and expression’ and ‘social and civic competences’.

initiative and entrepreneurship’,

‘learning to learn’,

in particular,

The Brussels European Council of 8 and 9 March 2007
noted that education and training are prerequisites for a
well-functioning knowledge triangle (education-research-
innovation) and play a key role in boosting growth and
It called for particular attention to be given to
jobs.
stimulating the potential of small and medium-sized
including those in the cultural and creative
enterprises,
sectors,
job
creation and innovation.

in view of their role as drivers of growth,

Declaring a European Year of Creativity and Innovation is
an effective way of helping to meet the challenges facing
Europe by raising public awareness, disseminating infor­
mation about good practices and promoting research and
policy debate. By creating an environment for simulta­
neously promoting these objectives at European, national,
regional and local levels, it can achieve greater synergy
and critical mass than disparate efforts at different levels.

As the promotion of creativity and of a capacity for
innovation through lifelong learning falls within the
objectives of existing Community programmes, such a
Year can be implemented by using those programmes
within the existing margins which they provide for
setting funding priorities on an annual or multi-annual
basis; programmes and policies in other fields, such as
culture, communication, enterprise, cohesion, rural devel­
opment,
research and the information society, also
contribute to promoting creativity and a capacity for
innovation and may support the initiative within their
respective legal frameworks.

(1) Opinion of 9 July 2008 (not yet published in the Official Journal).
(2) OJ C 257, 9.10.2008, p. 46.
(3) Opinion of the European Parliament of 23 September 2008 (not yet
and Council Decision of

Journal)

published in the Official
20 November 2008.

(4) OJ C 163, 9.7.2002, p. 1.
(5) OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 10.

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Official Journal of the European Union

24.12.2008

(9)

Since the objective of this Decision, namely to support
the efforts of the Member States to promote creativity,
through lifelong learning, as a driver for innovation and
as a key factor for the development of personal, occupa­
tional, entrepreneurial and social competences and the
individuals in society, cannot be suf­
well-being of all
and can
ficiently achieved by the Member States
therefore be better achieved at Community level,
the
Community may adopt measures,
in accordance with
the principle of subsidiarity, as set out in Article 5 of
the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of propor­
tionality, as set out in that Article, this Decision does not
go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that
objective,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Subject
The year 2009 shall be designated as the ‘European Year of
Creativity and Innovation’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Year’).

Article 2

Objectives

1.
The overall objective of the Year shall be to support the
efforts of the Member States to promote creativity, through
lifelong learning, as a driver for innovation and as a key
factor for the development of personal, occupational, entrepre­
neurial and social competences and the well-being of all indi­
viduals in society.

The specific objectives of the Year shall be to highlight,
the following factors which can contribute to

2.
inter alia,
promoting creativity and a capacity for innovation:

preneurial mindsets, particularly among young people,
through cooperation with the business world;

(e) promoting education in basic as well as advanced mathe­
matical, scientific and technological skills conducive to tech­
nological innovation;

(f)

to change, creativity and problem-
fostering openness
solving as competences conducive to innovation which
are transferable to a variety of occupational and social
contexts;

(g) broadening access to a variety of creative forms of self-
formal education and by

expression both throughout
means of non-formal and informal youth activities;

(h) raising awareness among people, whether inside or outside
the labour market, that creativity, knowledge and flexibility
are important in a time of rapid technological changes and
global integration for a prosperous and fulfilling life, as well
as equipping people to improve their career opportunities in
all areas where creativity and a capacity for innovation play
an important role;

(i) promoting design as a creative activity which significantly
innovation
including

contributes
management
basic notions of protection of intellectual property;

to
as well
and design management

as
skills,

innovation,

(j) developing creativity and innovative capacity in private and
public organisations
through training, and encouraging
them to make better use of the creative capacities of both
employees and clients.

Article 3

Content of measures

(a) providing an environment which is favourable to innovation
and adaptability in a rapidly changing world; all forms of
innovation, including social and entrepreneurial innovation,
shall be taken into account;

The measures to be taken to achieve the objectives set out in
Article 2 shall
include the following activities at European,
national, regional or local level linked to the objectives of the
Year:

(b) highlighting openness to cultural diversity as a means of
fostering
communication and promoting
closer links between the arts, as well as with schools and
universities;

intercultural

(a) conferences, events and initiatives to promote debate and
the importance of creativity and a

raise awareness of
capacity for innovation;

(c) stimulating aesthetic sensitivity, emotional development,
creative thinking and intuition in all children from the
earliest stages of development, including pre-school care;

(b) information and promotion campaigns to disseminate key

messages;

(c)

identification of examples of good practice and dissemi­
nation of
information about promoting creativity and a
capacity for innovation;

(d) raising awareness of the importance of creativity, innovation
and entrepreneurship for personal development, as well as
for economic growth and employment, and fostering entre­

(d) surveys and studies on a Community or national scale.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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In addition to activities co-financed by the Community in
accordance with Article 6, the Commission or the Member
States may identify other activities as contributing to the
objectives of the Year and permit the use of the name of the
Year in promoting those activities insofar as they contribute to
the achievement of the objectives set out in Article 2.

and rules applying, on an annual or multi-annual basis, to
existing programmes, particularly in the field of education and
training. Where appropriate, programmes and policies in other
fields, such as culture, communication, enterprise, cohesion,
rural development, research and the information society, may
support the Year.

Article 4

Coordination at national level

Each Member State shall appoint a national coordinator
responsible for organising its participation in the Year. The
coordinator shall ensure the coordination at national
level of
activities relating to the Year.

Article 7

Entry into force

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Article 5

Coordination at European level

Article 8

Addressees

The Commission shall convene meetings of the national coor­
dinators in order to coordinate at European level the implemen­
tation of the Year and to exchange information regarding its
implementation at national level.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Strasbourg, 16 December 2008.

Article 6

Funding

Co-financing
activities within the
framework of the Year shall be in accordance with the priorities

at European level of

For the European Parliament
The President

H.-G. PÖTTERING

For the Council
The President

B. LE MAIRE