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Ministers' Dossier

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The Role of Ministerial Conferences

Minister Carmen Calvo has indicated the intention to organise the next Conference of European Ministers of Culture in Spain in next spring. This will be the fourth edition of the series started in Berlin (A Soul for Europe, Berlin, 26-27 November 2004).

Besides common features, each conference follows peculiar objectives, too. The Paris Conference (Rencontres pour l'Europe de la Culture, Paris, Comédie Française, 2-3 May 2005) set the goal of initiating practical co-operation between interested EU member states. With the involvement of expert groups, the following eight themes had been elaborated and presented at the conference.

  1. Promotion of European films in the Europa Cinemas network. This project, the main element of which would be the organisation of Weeks of European Film, would complement the actions of MEDIA.
  2. Establishment of a network of bookshops that bear the title of European Bookshop (upon the analogy of Europa Cinemas), and which pledge to keep a previously agreed stock of European works in translation and/or in the original language.
  3. Creation of the title of European Heritage, an initiative inspired by the World Heritage Programme of UNESCO, and by the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.
  4. Support given to subtitling in performing arts (opera, theatre etc.), by setting up a fund and establishing a committee of experts who would elaborate principles and criteria and would manage the fund.
  5. Compilation of a document that contains information on performing arts in the member states, data on venues, festivals, artists, regulation, resources etc, a European Atlas of the Performing Arts, aiming at the harmonisation of conditions also.
  6. Annual publication of a European Album of Young Architects and a European Album of Young Landscape Architects, upon the example of the French national equivalent, based on open calls for application.
  7. Establishment of a joint European promotion platform of European music in the Far East, with the main aim of strengthening the European position on the Japanese and Chinese music markets.
  8. Creation of a long-term lending scheme of contemporary works of art, in order to enhance the mobility and visibility of works of European visual arts in our days.

    Some of the suggested items received especially positive feedback in Paris. Nevertheless, the turbulent period that characterised the time that has passed on the European arena since May, has not favoured the practical follow-up of these initiatives. When the major open issues (such as the 2007-2013 budget, and the future cultural activity of the Union) are settled, these and similar suggestions may again enjoy the necessary attention and support.

    During the preparations for Inclusive Europe? Horizon 2020, at least two more themes emerged, that lend themselves to joint execution:
     
  9. Exploration of the advantages and adaptability of the intellectual property solutions offered by the Adelphi Charter, the Creative Commons, and the related IP initiatives.
  10. Promotion of arts for young children, and their parents, with or without specific aims at social and cultural inclusion.

If in the areas where the EU has a mandate, the institution of enhanced co-operation, as specified in the Treaty of Nice, continues to gain recognition, a looser version of voluntary co-operation may find justification in domains that are national competence, as an appropriate way of realising joint actions. Similarly to other cultural actions of the Union, the involvement of future members can also be conceived. It is to be decided whether the Conferences of European Ministers of Culture are instrumental in such a co-operation.