Brussels, 06/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Council formally adopted the following resolutions approved during the Education, Culture and Youth Council on 11 and 12 November last in Brussels (see EUROPE of 9, 13 and 15 November).
1. Implementation of the work plan on European cooperation in the field of culture, concerning: - European added value: The Council agrees that European added value in cultural action may be evaluated cumulatively through actions that encourage cooperation between Member States in fields where the objectives and effects are better achieved at Community level than at Member State level; - mobility of persons and circulation of works in the cultural sector: The Council invites the Member States and the Commission, within the context of their respective competences and responsibilities, to take concrete measures at EU and/or Member State level in order to promote the mobility of persons within the cultural sector (for example, by setting in place national information services, the networking of cultural players and artists, and by encouraging interdisciplinary and crossborder cooperation between schools), as well as the free movement of works.
2. Interactive media content in Europe. The Council above all invites the Commission and the Member States to: - follow the development of content production for interactive media; - envisage exchange of good practice regarding the cultural, economic and social dimension of interactive content; - examine how the interactive content industry may take advantage of the improved possibilities for creating networks in order to promote the development of competences; - examine how interactive content should be used to ensure the promotion and diffusion of cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe.
3. Promotion of enhanced European cooperation in vocational education and training. The Council considers that priority should be granted to: - the European dimension; - transparency; - the recognition of competences and qualifications; - and quality assurance. It mainly invites the Member States and the Commission to: - involve all key players fully, above all the social partners and the consultative committee on vocational training, but also the candidate countries and the EFTA/EEA countries; - strengthen cooperation with, among others, the ILO, OECD, Unesco and the Council of Europe with a view to developing concrete policies and actions in the field of vocational education and training; - and submit a progress report on the follow-up of the future objectives of education and training systems as requested by the European Council for its spring meeting of 2004.
The Council also formally adopted the conclusions, approved in November, on the "Television without Frontiers" Directive, in which it mainly points out that it awaits with interest the report that the Commission is to submit on application of this directive as well as the detailed preparatory work that it is to carry out with a view to future proposals concerning the directive, mainly within the contact committee specially set up for this.