Brussels, 03/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - The EU15 Culture Ministers are to meet informally in Bruges on 4 and 5 December under the chairmanship of Flemish Culture Minister Bert Anciaux and with the participation of Commissioner Viviane Reding. They will exchange views on two main themes: 1) the Culture 2000 programme, which provides for financial support for artists and cultural activities with European dimension for the period 2000-2004. Ms Reding will present to ministers the results of the Forum on "cultural cooperation in Europe", held on 21 and 22 November in Brussels. Two questions will be raised by the Presidency: - Is the added value for the EC through its cultural action sufficiently guaranteed for the Culture 2000 instrument? - How should the next cultural cooperation programme be conceived to ensure synergy between the cultural policies of regional, national and Community authorities? (In addition to the ministers of the EU member countries, this first discussion will also be open to the ministers of EU candidate countries and of EEA countries; 2) Cultural participation in a digital world: the ministers will discuss - in the wake of the "culture and internet" resolution of the Council on 5 November - the possibilities and challenges presented by the new technologies, and the role of the various authorities in this sector in favour of enlarging the cultural participation of European citizens. The questions raised by the Presidency include: - How must the EU react to the development of relations between the public authorities and citizens with the advent of the information society? - How should the EU and Member States react to the new forms of cultural participation meeting the characteristics of the information society