The Czech Presidency’s priorities and work programme: 1 January - 30 June 2009
(2009 01 06 12:52)
On 1st January the Czech Republic assumed the EU Presidency for the next six months. The Presidency’s motto is a ‘Europe without barriers’. The key priorities are the three ‘E’s’: Economy, Energy and Europe in the world.
The Czech Government based the definition of its priorities and work programme on strategic documents from the EU and on conclusions of the EU Council and European Councils. The Government also prepared a joint eighteen-month programme in cooperation with France and Sweden – Czech partners in the Presidency Trio.
Please find below the excerpt from the Work Programme of the Czech Presidency devoted to culture:
"Culture is one of the fundamental elements of the EU Member States’ identity. The Presidency will focus on implementing the EU’s Culture Programme, adopted in November 2007 by a resolution of the Council, and the Work Plan for Culture 2008-2010, approved by the Council in May 2008. It will try to make culture more accessible for civil society, especially by promoting cultural heritage, cultural tourism, cooperation with arts education and greater mobility in the area of culture. Taking up the agenda of its French predecessor, the Czech Presidency will focus on the priorities for the upcoming period related to the digitising of cultural material. In May 2009, Prague will host a conference devoted to the European Digital Library, the national strategies of Member States and other successful digitising projects in the EU. To mark the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009, the development and relationship between creativity and culture will be discussed at the ministerial conference entitled Forum for Creative Europe, which will be held in Prague in March 2009. The conference will primarily address the issues of creative industry and economy, the relation of civil society to creativity and the implementation of cultural strategies. The Presidency will also support the European Heritage Label project, with the aim of promoting and supporting access of the general public to cultural heritage as a source of the EU’s fundamental values. Attention will also be paid to an informal discussion on a wide range of topics related to the protection of cultural assets. Special attention will be paid to the issue of works of art seized from victims of the Holocaust."
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