Brussels, 18/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - Some of the numerous contributions from civil society focus on education and culture, calling for the European Union to have a greater role and for diversity to be preserved.
Building a Europe of culture
"Yes. The future Europe needs a strong cultural component and action at Community level", writes the European Cultural Foundation, because "integration and enlargement need the participation of European civil society, "culture is communication and understanding". It adds two other reasons: "multicultural societies and globalisation need intercultural responses" and "because creative diversity is a competitive advantage of Europe". The Foundation calls for Article 151 to be strengthened.
FERA calls for introduction of qualified majority voting for cultural policy
FERA (the Federation of European Film Directors) wants the European Convention to recognise copyright as the basis of freedom of speech, regretting that its views weren't followed in this connection with the Charter of Fundamental Rights was drawn up. FERA writes that the only way to build a genuine European broadcasting and culture policy is to move from Article 151 to qualified majority voting, adding that European creators want more Europe when it comes to creation and expect the European Treaties to allow a common culture policy based on the circulation of all the diversity of European creation. FERA wants unanimous decision-making to be kept, however, for trading cultural and broadcasting services (Article 133). It also recommends that a special body be set up to manage the Media programme.
Preserving linguistic diversity
The European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages points out that no fewer than 40 million EU citizens regularly use a regional or minority language. It wants a change to the Charter of Fundamental Rights or the incorporation of a specific article on linguistic diversity to guarantee that no policies or measures decided by the EU are taken or applied that will damage linguistic diversity. Through the codecision procedure, the EU could take measures to extend cooperation (including cross-border cooperation) in order to promote linguistic diversity. The Bureau also wants a change from unanimous to qualified majority voting in Council on cultural policies.
For a European education policy
The Forum européen pour la liberté dans l'éducation calls for the incorporation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights into the future Constitutional Treaty and for the current Articles 149 (education ) and 150 (professional training) to be merged to get rid of an "artificial separation" and for the EU to be able to share powers with Member States in this area. The catalogue of objectives pursued by the EU education policy should refer to diversity of supply, both private and public. While respecting the subsidiarity principle, the Forum calls for a strengthening of EU action in coordinating national education policies and relations with third countries.
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