Brussels, 03/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - In the context of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009, the European Commission organised a conference on 2 and 3 March to illustrate how the European Union can promote creativity and innovation by funding cross-border projects, and how experience and results from such projects can be shared to the benefit of everyone. The Commission also unveiled a new online platform (EVE - Espace Virtuel d'Echange), showcasing the results and details of EU-funded projects in education, culture and related areas. “Creativity and innovation are an important part of the solution for the current problems Europe is going through. This is the right moment to show how money available in our programmes does produce large returns and creates positive spillover effects”, stressed Jan Figel', the commissioner for education, training, culture, youth and sport. According to Mr Figel', Europe's creative potential “can be channelled towards finding innovative solutions, products and services that can foster economic growth”.
The conference provided an opportunity for policy-makers and project promoters to discuss how partners from different European countries can make an EU-funded project a success - either by support from the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Youth, Citizenship, Culture or Media programmes as well as the framework programme for research and structural funds - and how their experience may be shared. Participants also discussed how projects can make a difference even after initial support runs out - either by ensuring longer-term continuity or by producing tangible results. Such results could be the creation of dual partnerships between organisations in different countries, the publication of new teaching manuals, and further studies or DVDs presenting artistic creations. In parallel, 30 best practices drawn from European programmes were presented and encouraged in a new publication specially prepared for the conference, selecting projects according to creative and innovative merit. An exhibition presenting the results of 20 outstanding European projects was a lively demonstration of the process from the birth of a project to its final achievement. Finally, the Commission launched a new online platform, EVE, during the conference, offering easy access to results and details of a series of EU-funded projects in the fields of education, culture, youth and citizenship. Several hundred projects are already in the database that will be gradually enriched with other additions. This platform also provides a space for project coordinators in which they may take stock of the progress of their projects and of the results. Commissioner Figel' commented that 2009 will create a unique place for the emergence of new ideas, at European, national, regional and local level. He said: “I dare to hope that the effects of synergy created during the year will come as a good surprise”. (I.L./transl.jl)