Brussels, 15/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 31 January, the European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity (CEDC), with the support of the European Platform on the Potential of Cultural and Creative Industries, organised a conference in Brussels to draw the attention of the European institutions to the cultural issues at stake in Europe. Through the experiences of creators and cultural professionals and the expertise of the MEPs attending, a consensus was reached in support of five proposals: (1) to reinforce the financing of cultural programmes initiated by the European Union; (2) to ensure cultural priorities are properly observed in European tax, trade or competition policies; (3) to guarantee that the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is respected in the trade negotiations conducted by the European Union; (4) to adapt the system of taxation to the digital era; (5) to prevent operators outside the European Union from circumventing the national cultural policies set up in Europe. The European Coalitions point out that their initiative was supported by more than 1,000 European cultural creators and professionals who have signed an open letter to Commission President José Manuel Barroso, calling for a significant increase in the support of European culture. ((IL/transl.rt)