PURPOSE : to conclude the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expression.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2006/515/EC on the conclusion of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

CONTENT : the Council has adopted a decision on the conclusion by the European Community of the UNESCO convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. The convention on cultural diversity was adopted at the general conference of UNESCO in Paris on 20 October 2005. It establishes a series of rights and obligations to protect and promote cultural diversity.

The purpose of the proposal is to authorise the European Community to approve and, consequently, become a party to the UNESCO convention, together with the Member States.

The objectives of the Convention are as follows:

§ to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions;

§ to create the conditions for cultures to flourish and to freely interact in a mutually beneficial manner;

§ to encourage dialogue among cultures with a view to ensuring wider and balanced cultural exchanges in the world in favour of intercultural respect and a culture of peace;

§ to foster interculturality in order to develop cultural interaction in the spirit of building bridges among peoples;

§ to promote respect for the diversity of cultural expressions and raise awareness of its value at the local, national and international levels;

§ to reaffirm the importance of the link between culture and development for all countries, particularly for developing countries, and to support actions undertaken nationally and internationally to secure recognition of the true value of this link;

§ to give recognition to the distinctive nature of cultural activities, goods and services as vehicles of identity, values and meaning;

§ to reaffirm the sovereign rights of States to maintain, adopt and implement policies and measures that they deem appropriate for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions on their territory;

§ to strengthen international cooperation and solidarity in a spirit of partnership with a view, in particular, to enhancing the capacities of developing countries in order to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions.

Decision 2006/515
OJ L 201 25.07.2006, p. 0015-0030

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Christa PRETS (PES, AT) approving the conclusion of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

T6-0151/2006

A6-0079/2006

A6-0079/2006

The committee adopted the report by Christa PRETS (PES, AT) approving - under the consultation procedure - the conclusion of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

PE370.075

PURPOSE : to conclude the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expression.

PROPOSED ACT : Council Decision.

CONTENT : in October 2003, the General Conference of UNESCO decided unanimously to open negotiations on a convention on protecting the diversity of cultural contents and artistic expressions. The Convention was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 20 October 2005. The Council of Ministers, in authorising the Commission to negotiate on behalf of the Community in November 2004, handed down negotiating directives calling on it to ensure that the Convention included the necessary clauses for the Community to become party to it. Consequently, Article 27 of the Convention establishes the possibility for the European Community to become a contracting party and play an active role in the organs of the Convention, in particular the Conference of the Parties established by Article 22 of the Convention. It is therefore important for the European Community to become a party to the Convention, together with the Member States of the European Union.

More specifically, the purpose of the present proposal is therefore to authorise the approval of the UNESCO Convention by the European Community. The full participation of the European Community and its Member States in implementing the Convention will in particular contribute to:

- establishing a new pillar of world governance with the aim of ensuring protection and promotion of cultural diversity;

- emphasising the specific and dual (cultural and economic) nature of cultural goods and services;

- recognising the role and legitimacy of public policies in the protection and promotion of cultural diversity;

- recognising the importance of, and promoting, international cooperation to respond to cultural vulnerabilities, in particular with regard to developing countries;

- defining appropriate links with other international instruments that enable the Convention to be implemented effectively.

COM(2005)0678
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE : to conclude the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expression.

PROPOSED ACT : Council Decision.

CONTENT : in October 2003, the General Conference of UNESCO decided unanimously to open negotiations on a convention on protecting the diversity of cultural contents and artistic expressions. The Convention was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 20 October 2005. The Council of Ministers, in authorising the Commission to negotiate on behalf of the Community in November 2004, handed down negotiating directives calling on it to ensure that the Convention included the necessary clauses for the Community to become party to it. Consequently, Article 27 of the Convention establishes the possibility for the European Community to become a contracting party and play an active role in the organs of the Convention, in particular the Conference of the Parties established by Article 22 of the Convention. It is therefore important for the European Community to become a party to the Convention, together with the Member States of the European Union.

More specifically, the purpose of the present proposal is therefore to authorise the approval of the UNESCO Convention by the European Community. The full participation of the European Community and its Member States in implementing the Convention will in particular contribute to:

- establishing a new pillar of world governance with the aim of ensuring protection and promotion of cultural diversity;

- emphasising the specific and dual (cultural and economic) nature of cultural goods and services;

- recognising the role and legitimacy of public policies in the protection and promotion of cultural diversity;

- recognising the importance of, and promoting, international cooperation to respond to cultural vulnerabilities, in particular with regard to developing countries;

- defining appropriate links with other international instruments that enable the Convention to be implemented effectively.

COM(2005)0678
EUR-Lex