Brussels, 05/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 5 December 2008, the European Commission launched the communication campaign for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 with the slogan “Imagine. Create. Innovate”. The aim is to promote creative and innovative approaches in different sectors of human activity and contribute to better equip the European Union for the challenges ahead in a globalised world. Europe has to mobilise all its creative forces to meet the coming environmental, energy, employment and demographic challenges, explained the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, adding that “creativity and innovation are tomorrow's engines”. EU Education, Training, Culture and Youth Commissioner Jan Figel said that the EU would be facing a much more competitive world, and had to prepare itself and have the creativity and innovation to meet future challenges. Figel explained the measures being implemented by the European Union in education to develop people's talents and creativity. He mentioned teacher training and the need to ensure teachers are able to detect children's talents and foster them. The EU qualifications framework to be implemented in 2010 will allow young people to make use of their qualifications in other EU countries and will help young people become more mobile - a crucial factor in an ever more globalised world, explained the commissioner.
By emphasizing creativity and innovation, the EU aims to shape Europe's future in global competition by fostering the creative and innovative potential in everyone, explains the Commission. As in previous European Years, the measures to be organised in 2009 will include promotion campaigns, events and initiatives at European, national, regional and local levels. Six public debates on key topics connected with creativity and innovation will be held in Brussels during the year to provide a platform for reflection and exchange of ideas which can contribute to policy discussion, covering such issues as cultural diversity, public sector, education, knowledge society, sustainable development or creative arts and industry, explained Figel. The year will be officially inaugurated in Prague, the Czech Republic, on 7 January, at a ceremony attended by the president of the Commissioner, Jose Manuel Barroso, and the Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolánek. Several celebrities have been asked to be ambassadors for the year and back the various initiatives at home and elsewhere in the world. (I.L./trans.fl)