Brussels, 18/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - The fight to make Europe more accessible and boost its creative economy will be one of the questions raised by EU Culture Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou at a culture summit in Avignon, France, on Friday 18 November 2011, organised by the French presidency of the G8-G20 and attended by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French culture and communications minister, Frédéric Mitterrand, and representatives of G8-G20 nations. Vassiliou will focus on recommendations by a group of digital experts at the European Commission (a “Committee of the Wise”) that the European library, “Europeana”, should be the main online access point for the EU's cultural heritage and that public-private partnerships should be encouraged to boost digitalisation and job creation. The Commissioner pointed out before the Avignon event that protecting cultural heritage for future generations should be an imperative in any society. Later this month, the Commission will adopt a new culture and broadcasting aid programme, “Creative Europe” and will soon be suggesting a 20% rise in the cinema budget for 2014-2020 from €755 million to almost €900 million. The Avignon event is taking place at the same time as the Avignon Forum, an annual event attended by key players in the culture and creative industries, media and business. (OL/transl.fl)