PURPOSE: to designate 2009 as the “European Year of Creativity and Innovation”.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision No 1350/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the European Year of Creativity and Innovation (2009).

CONTENT: having reached agreement with the Parliament at first reading, the Council adopted a Decision designating 2009 as the “European Year of Creativity and Innovation”.

The overall objective of the Year shall be to support the efforts of the Member States to promote creativity, through lifelong learning, as a driver for innovation and as a key factor for the development of personal, occupational, entrepreneurial and social competences and the well-being of all individuals in society.

The specific objectives of the Year shall be to highlight, inter alia, the following factors:

providing an environment which is favourable to innovation and adaptability in a rapidly changing world; all forms of innovation, including social and entrepreneurial innovation, shall be taken into account; highlighting openness to cultural diversity as a means of fostering intercultural communication and promoting closer links between the arts, as well as with schools and universities; stimulating aesthetic sensitivity, emotional development, creative thinking and intuition in all children from the earliest stages of development, including pre-school care; raising awareness of the importance of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship for personal development, as well as for economic growth and employment, and fostering entrepreneurial mindsets, particularly among young people, through cooperation with the business world; promoting education in basic as well as advanced mathematical, scientific and technological skills conducive to technological innovation; fostering openness to change, creativity and problem-solving as competences conducive to innovation which are transferable to a variety of occupational and social contexts; broadening access to a variety of creative forms of self-expression both throughout formal education and by means of non-formal and informal youth activities; raising awareness among people that creativity, knowledge and flexibility are important in a time of rapid technological changes and global integration for a prosperous and fulfilling life; promoting design as a creative activity which significantly contributes to innovation, including basic notions of protection of intellectual property; developing creativity and innovative capacity in private and public organisations through training, and encouraging them to make better use of the creative capacities of both employees and clients.

In the context of existing programmes, the EU will contribute to the funding of European, national, regional or local measures which contribute to these objectives, including:

conferences, events and initiatives to promote debate and raise awareness of the importance of creativity and a capacity for innovation; information and promotion campaigns to disseminate key messages; identification of examples of good practice and dissemination of information about promoting creativity and a capacity for innovation; surveys and studies on a Community or national scale.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 25/12/2008.

The European Parliament adopted, under 1st reading of the codecision procedure, a legislative resolution amending the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the European Year of Creativity and Innovation (2009). The report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Katerina BATZELI (PES, EL) on behalf of the Committee on Culture and Education. The amendments sought to re-word the objectives for the sake of conciseness and clarity. In addition, while the Commission highlighted the Lifelong Learning Programme, the European Parliament stressed the importance of all EU programmes that promote creativity and innovation. All particular reference to the Lifelong Learning Programme was deleted. Where appropriate, programmes and policies in other fields, such as culture, communication, enterprise, cohesion, rural development, research and the information society, may support the Year.

Cofinancing at European level of activities within the framework of the Year shall be in accordance with the priorities and rules applying, on an annual or multiannual basis, to existing programmes, particularly in the field of education and training.

The Committee on Culture and Education adopted a report drafted by Katerina BATZELI (PES, EL) and made a few amendments to the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the European Year of Creativity and Innovation (2009). The amendments sought to re-word the objectives for the sake of conciseness and clarity. The committee also stated that cofinancing at European level of activities within the framework of the Year shall be in accordance with the priorities and rules applying, on an annual or multiannual basis, to existing programmes, particularly in the field of education and training. Where appropriate, programmes and policies in other fields, such as culture, communication, enterprise, cohesion, rural development, research and the information society, may support the Year. It deleted all particular references to the Lifelong Learning Programme.

The Council reached a general approach on a draft Decision designating 2009 as the European year of creativity and innovation.

Declaring a European year of creativity and innovation will be an effective way of helping to meet the challenges facing Europe by raising public awareness, disseminating information about good practices and promoting research and policy debate.

The objective of the European year will be to promote creativity through lifelong learning, as a driver for innovation and as a key factor for the development of personal, entrepreneurial and social competences and the wellbeing of all individuals in the society.

The activities within the framework of the European year will be financed from the existing programmes in the field of education and training, in particular from the Lifelong Learning Programme. However, given the subject matter, programmes and policies in other fields such as enterprise, cohesion, research and the information society could support this initiative.

An agreement with the European Parliament at first reading would be desirable with a view to ensuring that preparations for the European year can begin in good time.

PURPOSE : to designate 2009 as the “European Year of Creativity and Innovation”.

PROPOSED ACT : Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTEXT : this proposal deals with the designation of 2009 as the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. It points out that Europe needs to boost its capacity for creativity and innovation for both social and economic reasons. The European Council has repeatedly recognised innovation as crucial to Europe’s ability to respond effectively to the challenges and opportunities of globalisation, noting that Europe needs a strategic approach aimed at creating an innovation-friendly environment where knowledge is converted into innovative products and services. The modern economy, with its emphasis on adding value by means of better use of knowledge and rapid innovation, requires a broadening of the creative skills base involving the whole population. In particular, there is a need for skills and competences that enable people to embrace change as an opportunity and to be open to new ideas that promote innovation and active participation in a culturally diverse, knowledge-based society.

Declaring a European Year is an effective way of helping to meet challenges by raising public awareness, disseminating information about good practices, stimulating research, creativity and innovation and promoting policy debate and change. By combining action at Community, national, regional and local levels, and creating openings for participation by interested stakeholders, it can generate synergies in information and awareness-raising activities, and help to focus policy debate on a specific issue.

CONTENT : The overall objective of the European Year is to promote creativity for all as a driver for innovation and as a key factor for the development of personal, occupational, entrepreneurial and social competences through lifelong learning.

In keeping with the concept of lifelong learning endorsed by the Council Resolution on lifelong learning of 27 June 2002, the promotion of creativity and a capacity for innovation will be tailored to all stages of lifelong learning, from early learning through compulsory and post-compulsory education and training, extending through working life to the post-retirement phase. It will apply to formal, non-formal and informal learning environments.

As in other European Years, measures will include information and promotion campaigns, events and initiatives at European, national, regional and local levels to convey key messages and disseminate information about examples of good practice. The Year will be implemented using existing Community programmes, in particular the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013 and the Culture Programme 2007-2013, and other programmes and initiatives within the priorities set for each instrument for the period including 2009. Those priorities include sectorally targeted objectives such as:

- awakening and reinforcing creativity and innovation or developing innovative pedagogic approaches involving the creative arts and science in schools;

- promoting the “knowledge triangle” by establishing learning regions centred on universities as a driving force for regional development; supporting the development and transfer of innovation through vocational training;

- promoting adults’ personal fulfilment by developing their cultural awareness and capacity for creative expression and innovation via adult education; and,

- for all links in the lifelong learning chain, communication activities and events to disseminate and apply the results.

To ensure that the activities organised in the course of the Year are tailored to the needs and circumstances in each Member State and that the maximum impact is obtained from the lessons learned at European level, the Member States are invited to appoint a national coordinator responsible for organising their participation in the European Year of Creativity and Innovation where the national Lisbon Coordinator cannot usefully take over this role. A European steering group, including representatives of the national coordinators, will coordinate activities at European level.

Lastly, it should be noted that no additional funding is sought for the Year. The flexibility for setting priorities on an annual or multiannual basis in the Lifelong Learning Programme and other relevant programmes provides a sufficient financial margin to support an awareness-raising campaign on a scale similar to previous European Years.

The administrative resources necessary to implement the Year can also be found within existing administrative budgets.