Brussels, 20/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - MEPs on the European Parliament's Education and Culture Committee were briefed last week on the British Presidency's priorities for the second half of the year. British education secretary Ruth Kelly said education, young people and culture were fundamental policies needed to improve living standards for citizens and social life in general. She made a clear argument in favour of reforming the budget for education and culture in order to achieve the revised Lisbon Strategy. Kelly paid particular attention to training the labour force to increase productivity and the competitiveness of EU Member States' economies, as she outlined to her colleagues at the London Education Council on 12/13 July (see EUROPE 8990). Ruth Kelly said it was essential to reform secondary education to ensure young people got the full skills they require in the workplace. In this connection, she fully backed lifelong learning programmes, Youth in Action, Socrates and the European Youth Pact, explaining that the UK would pay particular attention to improving the quality of higher education institutions in Europe. David Lammy, speaking on behalf of British culture, media and sports secretary Tessa Jowell, who was unable to attend, said that culture was a vital part of social integration, arguing that it was vital that the EU 'reconnected with its citizens' main concerns.' The British Presidency wants to see progress in the negotiations over the new MEDIA programme for 2007 to consolidate competitiveness in EU broadcasting, improve the circulation of films and music outside the EU, and preserve Europe's cultural heritage. Concerning the review of the Television Without Frontiers Directive (the Commission is expected to unveil new proposals by the end of the year, Ed.), the British Presidency wants the directive to focus on the developing of new technological TV platforms. In this connection, it is awaiting the outcome of a conference on broadcasting in Liverpool on 20/22 September 2005. The British Presidency also backs the Commission's reform of the way European Culture Capitals are selected, to incorporate the new Member States. It hopes to see the adoption of a new decision under its Presidency which would come into force in 2007. The British Presidency will be launching debate over the new proposals to be formulated by the European Commission for Culture 2007, a programme focussing on the mobility of people working in culture, the mobility of cultural programmes themselves, and intercultural dialogue). The UK will be backing a rolling agenda to combat drug-use in sport, tackle childhood obesity through exercise, and promote volunteer work. It will be examining Commission plans to make 2008 the Year of Intercultural Dialogue. Lammy hoped consensus would emerge during the British Presidency on UNESCO's draft Cultural Diversity Convention, due to be signed in October 2005.