16.12.2008

Official Journal of the European Union

C 320/1

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 21 November 2008

on a European strategy for multilingualism

(2008/C 320/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

REFERRING TO:

the Council Resolution of 14 February 2002 on the promotion of linguistic diversity and language learning (1), which stressed that the knowledge of languages is one of the basis skills each citizen needs in order to take part effectively in the European knowledge society and therefore facilitates both integration into society and social cohesion;

2.	the conclusions of the European Council meeting in Barcelona on 15 and 16 March 2002, which called for further action to improve the mastery of basic skills, in particular by teaching two foreign languages to all from a very early age (2);

3.	Decision No 1983/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 December 2006 concerning the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008) (3);

the Council conclusions of 19 May 2006 on the European Indicator of Language Competence (4), which reaffirmed that foreign language skills, as well as helping to foster mutual understanding between peoples, are a prerequisite for a mobile workforce and contribute to the competitiveness of the European Union economy;

5.	the Council conclusions of 22 May 2008 on the Work Plan for Culture 2008-2010 (5), which point up the cultural dimension of multilingualism and in particular its role in access to culture and its contribution to creativity;

6.	the Council conclusions of 22 May 2008 on Intercultural Competences, which acknowledge the role of language learning and translation in the acquisition of intercultural competences;

7.	the Council conclusions of 22 May 2008 on multilingualism, which, inter alia, invite the Commission to draw up proposals by the end of 2008 for a comprehensive policy framework on multilingualism.

WELCOMING:

—	the Commission communication of 18 September 2008 entitled ‘Multilingualism: an asset for Europe and a shared commitment’ (6).

TAKING NOTE OF:

—	the Commission Green Paper of 3 July 2008 entitled ‘Migration and Mobility: Challenges and opportunities for EU education systems’ (7),

and in the light of the proceedings of the convention on multilingualism held in Paris on 26 September 2008.

CONSIDERS THAT:

—	linguistic and cultural diversity is part and parcel of the European identity; it is at once a shared heritage, a wealth, a challenge and an asset for Europe,

—	multilingualism is a major cross-cutting theme encompassing the social, cultural, economic and therefore educational spheres,

—	the promotion of less widely used European languages represents an important contribution to multilingualism,

—	significant efforts should still be made to promote language learning and to value the cultural aspects of linguistic diversity at all levels of education and training, while also improving information on the variety of European languages and their dissemination across the world,

—

multilingualism is also of particular significance in promoting cultural diversity, inter alia in the field of media and content online, and intercultural dialogue within Europe and with the other regions of the world; translation, on account of the links it establishes between languages and cultures and the broad access it provides to works and ideas, plays a special role in this process,

—	linguistic diversity within Europe constitutes an added value for the development of economic and cultural relations between the European Union and the rest of the world,

—	multilingualism contributes to developing creativity by allowing access to other ways of thinking, interpreting the world and expressing the imagination.

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION, WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPHERES OF COMPETENCE AND IN FULL ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY, TO:

1. Promote multilingualism with a view to strengthening social cohesion, intercultural dialogue and European construction

(a)	increase awareness of the benefits of language diversity and language learning among members of the public and in particular young people undergoing initial training in both general and vocational education;

(b)	provide teaching of the language of the host country for migrants, especially young people, as an essential element for successful integration and employability, while respecting the languages of their countries of origin.

2. Strengthen lifelong language learning

(a)

endeavour to provide young people, from the earliest age and continuing beyond general education into vocational and higher education, with a diverse and high-quality supply of language and culture education options enabling them to master at least two foreign languages, which is a factor of integration in a knowledge-based society;

(b)	make efforts to promote the acquisition and regular updating of language skills for all, in formal, non-formal and informal contexts;

(c)	endeavour to broaden the selection of languages taught at different levels of education — including recognised languages which are less widely used, so as to enable pupils to choose on the basis of considerations such as personal interests or geographical situation;

(d)	encourage the learning and dissemination of European languages, by making use of innovative tools such as digital communication technology and distance learning and approaches such as those based on the intercomprehension of related languages;

(e)	promote learner assessment on the basis of recognised tools — such as the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the Europass Language Passport — and, where appropriate, the European Indicator of Language Competence;

(f)	devote particular attention to the further training of language teachers and to enhancing the language competences of teachers in general, in order to promote the teaching of non-linguistic subjects in foreign languages (CLIL — Content and Language Integrated Learning);

(g)	foster European mobility and exchanges among language teachers, with the aim that as many as possible should have spent a period of time in a country where the language they teach is spoken;

(h)

use the Lifelong Learning Programme and relevant national schemes to provide all target groups — in particular young people in training and teachers — with mobility opportunities which can help them improve their language skills, and initiatives such as the European Language Label to develop learning and teaching materials for languages.

3. Better promote multilingualism as a factor in the European economy's competitiveness and people's mobility and employability

(a)	support the provision and learning of a wide range of languages, in order to help enterprises, especially SMEs, to broaden their access to markets — in particular emerging markets — across the world;

(b)	encourage greater account to be taken of language skills in the career development of employees, particularly in small and medium-size enterprises;

(c)	draw on the European Structural Funds, where appropriate, in order to provide job-specific language courses in further vocational training and adult education;

(d)	value and make use of the linguistic competences of citizens with migrant backgrounds, as a means of strengthening both intercultural dialogue and economic competitiveness.

4. Promote the linguistic diversity and intercultural dialogue by stepping up assistance for translation, in order to encourage the circulation of works and the dissemination of ideas and knowledge in Europe and across the world

In the framework of existing policies and programmes:

(a)

better inform the public, and in particular European professionals, about national and European assistance schemes for the translation of literary, scientific or technical texts, including cultural and creative content online, surtitling of performing art works and subtitling of audiovisual works and films;

(b)	coordinate and increase the assistance provided, within the framework of existing European programmes, for measures to support translation;

(c)	develop the possibilities for and quality of training in translation and improve information about translation careers and courses given to the relevant target groups (school pupils, university students, enterprises, etc.);

(d)	support the networking of multilingual terminology databases to facilitate the work of translators and interpreters;

(e)

encourage the development of language technologies, in particular in the field of translation and interpretation, firstly by promoting cooperation between the Commission, the Member States, local authorities, research bodies and industry, and secondly by ensuring convergence between research programmes, the identification of areas of application and the deployment of the technologies across all EU languages.

B.	Launch a discussion on the relevance and feasibility, in the longer term, of a specific assistance programme for translation able to meet the cultural, technological and professional challenges involved.

5. Promote EU languages across the world

(a)	strengthen cooperation between Member States and between their cultural institutions or other representative bodies in third countries, and promote language partnerships and intercultural dialogue with third countries;

(b)	make best use of the potential of European languages for developing cultural and economic dialogue with the rest of the world and enhancing the role of the EU on the international stage;

(c)	enhance cooperation with both national and international organisations, in particular the Council of Europe and UNESCO, working in the field of language learning and linguistic and cultural diversity.

INVITES THE COMMISSION TO:

1.	support Member States in their efforts to achieve the objectives set out in this Resolution, by using the full potential of European cooperation in education, culture and other relevant policy areas;

adopt measures, within the context of the new comprehensive policy framework on multilingualism and within the limits of its competences, aimed at taking due account of the linguistic needs of citizens and institutions, paying particular attention to:

—	the relations between the European institutions and the public,

—	the relations between the European institutions and national institutions, and taking particular care to provide information in all official languages and to promote multilingualism on the Commission's websites;

3.	report, by mid-2011, on the implementation of this Resolution, in cooperation with the Member States and placing special emphasis on examples of good practice;

4.	periodically review the situation with regard to language skills in Europe, in particular on the basis of any existing research carried out by Member States, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and, where appropriate, the European Indicator of Language Competence.

(1) OJ C 50, 23.2.2002.

(2) SN 100/02, point 44, p. 19.

(3) OJ L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 44.

(4) OJ C 172, 25.7.2006, p. 1.

(5) OJ C 143, 10.6.2008.

(6) Doc. 13253/08 + ADD 1 + ADD 2 + ADD 3.

(7) Doc. 11631/08 + ADD 1 (COM(2008) 423 final).

16.12.2008

Official Journal of the European Union

C 320/6

Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 21 November 2008 on youth mobility

(2008/C 320/03)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

WHEREAS:

At its meetings in Lisbon in March 2000 and Barcelona in March 2002 the European Council agreed to set a strategic goal for the European Union to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy and society in the world by 2010, to make the education and training systems of the European Union a world quality reference by 2010 and to create a European Research and Innovation Area.

The European Council, meeting in Brussels in March 2008, agreed on the objective of removing barriers to the free movement of knowledge by creating a ‘fifth freedom’ which, inter alia, would involve increased cross-border mobility of researchers, as well as students, scientists and university teaching staff.

The decisions of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing Action Programmes for the period 2007-2013 in the field of education and training for life and throughout youth all aim to promote mobility; furthermore, European programmes and measures in the field of research and enterprise policy, as well as the Structural Funds, also share that same goal.

4.	The Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Quality Charter for Mobility (2006) suggested key principles to ensure the best possible conditions for preparing, assisting and assessing the period of mobility of a young person in another Member State.

The purpose of the Bologna process in the case of higher education and the Copenhagen process in the case of vocational education and training is to establish a European area offering greater student and teacher mobility, greater transparency in the recognition of qualifications and of periods of study and training, and improved cooperation between institutions.

The various European instruments, both existing (EQF, ECTS and Europass) and forthcoming (ECVET), are intended to enable European citizens to achieve better recognition of their qualifications and skills and to enhance them, as well as to provide them with information on learning opportunities throughout Europe (the PLOTEUS and ‘Study in Europe’ portals) (1).

7.	The conclusions of the Council on intercultural competences in May 2008 emphasise the contribution of mobility to the acquisition of such competences.

8.	The Council Recommendation on the Mobility of Young Volunteers Across the European Union of 20 November 2008 addresses the issues relating specifically to the mobility of young volunteers,

WELCOMES the report by the High Level Expert Forum on Mobility published by the European Commission in June 2008 (2) in response to the Council's call for mobility to be promoted and extended beyond students to benefit other young target groups, and the European Economic and Social Committee's report of 29 May 2008 entitled ‘Better promoting the mobility of young people in Europe: practicalities and timetable’.

AWARE THAT:

Youth mobility in Europe, based on the principle of free movement benefiting every European citizen, a central component of European cooperation on education and training, whether formal, informal or non-formal, and a crucial challenge for a knowledge-based Europe, is an important instrument in:

—	fostering a sense of belonging to Europe,

—	promoting social and occupational integration,

—	ensuring the competitiveness of the European economy within a globalised environment.

NOTES THAT:

Whilst the Erasmus programme has been successful, youth mobility nevertheless all too often remains the exception; that is true even for students, of whom only a small proportion travels to another Member State to study or undergo a period of training in an enterprise. It is still unevenly distributed, depending on types of training and sectors, study subjects, countries and social background, as a result in particular of lack of information, funding problems and insufficient recognition of periods of study abroad in courses. Mobility continues to be insufficiently known, owing to the lack of good quality information and of reliable and comparable statistics outside the framework of Community programmes.

UNDERLINES THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES:

1.	mobility concerns all young Europeans, whether they be schoolchildren, students, apprentices, volunteers, teachers, young researchers, trainers, youth workers, entrepreneurs or young people on the labour market;

mobility is to be understood primarily as physical mobility, which means staying in another country for study, a work placement, community work or additional training in the context of lifelong learning. Nevertheless, ‘virtual mobility’, i.e. the use of ICTs to develop partnerships or long-distance exchanges with young people in other countries as part of a structured educational or training project, can also make a significant contribution to mobility, particularly in the context of schools;

mobility should be seen not as an end in itself but as a preferred means of strengthening European citizenship and competitiveness, expanding and enriching the training and experience of young people, enhancing their versatility and employability and developing their intercultural understanding through language skills and exposure to other cultures;

for an ambitious, cross-cutting policy for mobility in Europe to succeed, it must spark interest in mobility among all young people, have the objective of gradually making a period of mobility in another European country the rule for all and be allocated appropriate financial resources to meet that challenge. Particular attention should be given to students who, given their socio-economic background or special needs, require additional financial support. Such a policy should also focus on arrangements for preparing and supporting mobility, as well as recognising the learning outcomes of a period of mobility, and should promote the development of mobility for teachers and trainers, who play a key part in these arrangements;

5.	this mobility policy is aimed above all at intra-European mobility but it may also contribute towards developing mobility between Europe and third countries.

INVITES MEMBER STATES TO:

adopt the objective of gradually making periods of learning abroad the rule rather than the exception for all young Europeans by increasing cross-border mobility opportunities in the various education and training areas and, while having due regard to their national frameworks and legislation, in the field of voluntary activities;

2.	with that in mind, meet the objectives set by the European Union programmes in the fields of education, youth, culture, citizenship and research for the period 2007-2013;

on the basis of the proceedings of the High Level Expert Forum, strive as far as possible for the following aims beyond 2013:

3.1.

every young person should have the opportunity to take part in some form of mobility, whether this be during their studies or training, in the form of a work placement, or in the context of voluntary activities. In particular:

—	every schoolchild in general education or vocational education and training should have the opportunity to participate in a mobility scheme in the course of their school studies,

—	every student in higher education should have the opportunity to follow a period of study or training or a work placement abroad. Higher Education Institutions should be encouraged to make such periods of mobility a part of their degree courses, either in the first or second cycle,

—	opportunities for mobility in the context of vocational education and training should increase significantly;

3.2.	the mobility of teachers, trainers and other educational staff, especially within the framework of existing programmes, should be increased;

4.	put these objectives into practice at various levels in order to increase the opportunities for mobility available to young people and implement partnerships for mobility involving all stakeholders — public authorities, enterprises and education and training establishments — and civil society.

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES AND THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPHERES OF COMPETENCE, to adopt measures which take account of national situations and national legislation, with a view to removing barriers to mobility in different areas and ensuring that periods of study and training abroad are recognised. Within the framework of the various exercises of the open method of coordination for education, training, culture and youth, they should seek in particular to:

1. Develop scope for mobility for all young persons

1.1.	improve the management of public sector support for mobility by encouraging coordinated action on the part of stakeholders, both political (European Union, State, regional and local authorities) and administrative (in particular the national agencies responsible for managing Community programmes);

1.2.	make full use of all current mobility opportunities afforded by European Union programmes which provide for virtual mobility and involve not only young people, but also more generally education staff;

1.3.	take into account the needs, particularly with regard to funding, of less-favoured students who would otherwise be unable to take advantage of mobility programmes;

1.4.

promote the development of new mobility opportunities, in particular by:

—	extending partnerships involving recognised periods of mobility in other establishments or frameworks, in particular associations,

—	increasing the number of double or joint diplomas,

—	stepping up support for the vocational training mobility of young people, including apprentices,

—	making more extensive use of cultural and language visits,

—	promoting groupings of students, including those from European art schools, for the purposes of carrying out joint projects,

—	establishing additional training modules delivered by higher education institutions, for example summer courses,

—	increasing mobility between enterprises and between enterprises and the academic, training and research communities,

—	creating opportunities for exchanges in the framework of voluntary activities.

2. Provide better information about existing mobility programmes

2.1.	raise awareness of the advantages of mobility among young people, the staff in charge of them and their social circle (in particular their family, teachers and education staff), and youth workers; to that end, promote access to information for these target groups by all means possible;

2.2.	further enhance the promotion and implementation of European Union programmes in the fields of education, youth, culture, citizenship and research.

3. Simplify procedures

3.1.

continue to simplify provisions for the implementation of European Union programmes, taking care in particular to make general use of multiannual agreements, especially in the field of education and vocational training. Such agreements are a precondition for establishing lasting partnerships between training establishments and enterprises;

3.2.	implement or encourage the development of a financial incentive strategy for bodies and stakeholders, in particular teachers, trainers and youth workers who organise mobility across Europe for the young people in their charge;

3.3.

improve recognition of mobility-related learning outcomes by generalising as far as possible validation of learning outcomes for all periods of mobility in Europe — an objective facilitated by the forthcoming correlation, by 2010, of the qualifications systems of the Member States with the European Qualifications Framework and by European instruments such as Europass, Youthpass, ECTS credits and the ECVET system.

4. Widen and diversify the sources of funding for youth mobility

4.1.

support youth mobility through appropriate Community financing, within the ceilings of the Financial Framework, in particular from the Structural Funds — mainly by better use of the possibilities afforded by the European Social Fund — and in the long term by adapting their guidelines and their management in line with the Member States' priorities to take the mobility objective into account;

4.2.

encourage broader diversification and better complementarity of the financing methods of youth mobility projects, by resorting to public and private-sector sources of financing within the limits of their respective capabilities (State, regional and local authorities, enterprises, banking institutions including the European Investment Bank, foundations, European trade associations, etc.);

4.3	take into consideration the particular financial needs of students from less favourable socio-economic backgrounds or with special needs so as to enable their participation in mobility programmes.

5. Apply the principles enshrined in the European Quality Charter for Mobility in education and training to all forms of youth mobility, in particular as regards arrangements for preparing, supporting and assessing periods of mobility

5.1.	encourage exchanges of best practice with respect to increasing the capacity and improving the quality of reception for young Europeans on mobility schemes;

5.2.	call upon the responsible stakeholders to improve the accommodation, living and working conditions of young Europeans on mobility schemes, in particular on higher education campuses;

5.3.	improve linguistic and cultural preparation for youth mobility.

6. Increase knowledge of youth mobility

6.1.	take stock of mobility flows in Europe by consolidating and, where applicable, compiling reliable and comparable statistics;

6.2.	disseminate and pool available survey results more efficiently;

6.3.	conduct impact studies as appropriate in order to assess the practical benefits of mobility for young Europeans from a cultural, educational and professional point of view.

INVITES THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO:

establish a work plan to include cross-border mobility measures in all European programmes, in particular by setting up mechanisms for the promotion of programmes among young people and facilitating the development, together with the competent authorities, of ‘one-stop-shops’, as well as a European youth mobility portal, to improve the dissemination of information among young people and the relevant institutions, exploit each programme's possibilities for virtual mobility schemes, and generate multiplier effects among the various programmes;

2.	publish, in before the end of 2010, a report on the medium-term development of youth mobility across Europe and draw up regular reports included in the joint interim report every 4 years on the state of youth and teacher mobility in the European Union;

produce a guide for Member States, regional and local authorities and education and training establishments and the actors associated with youth policies intended to help them benefit from other European policies which support mobility, such as the Structural Funds and the research programmes and policies;

4.	explore the feasibility of developing new means of financial support to help young people undergo periods of cross-border learning mobility, including the possibility of ‘European student loans’, and to report back to the Council on the progress made.

(1) http://www.ec.europa.eu/ploteus, http://www.study-in-europe.org

(2) http://ec.europa.eu/education/doc/2008/mobilityreport_en.pdf

16.12.2008

Official Journal of the European Union

C 320/10

Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue in the external relations of the Union and its Member States

(2008/C 320/04)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

HAVING REGARD TO:

—	the Treaty establishing the European Community,

—	the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of 20 October 2005 (1),

—	the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 14 November 1970,

—	Decision No 1983/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008) (2).

WELCOMING:

—	the Presidency conclusions of the European Council in Brussels on 19 and 20 June 2008 (3), whereby cultural cooperation and intercultural dialogue are regarded as integral parts of external policies as a whole.

REFERRING TO:

—	the Council Resolution of 16 November 2007 on a European Agenda for Culture (4),

—	the Council conclusions of 21 May 2008 on Intercultural Competences (5),

—	and the conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 21 May 2008, on the Work Plan for Culture 2008-2010 (6).

WELCOMING WITH INTEREST:

—	the Commission Communication of 10 May 2007 on a European Agenda for Culture in a Globalising World (7).

WHEREAS:

—	intercultural dialogue can help to bring individuals and peoples closer together, and help towards conflict prevention and the process of reconciliation, especially in regions which are facing politically precarious situations,

—	cultural exchanges and cultural cooperation, including in the audiovisual sphere, can help to establish relations based on partnership, strengthen the place and the role of civil society, foster processes of democratisation and good governance and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms,

—	culture, an essential component of the knowledge-based economy, is also a sector with strong economic potential, in particular with respect to cultural and creative industries and sustainable cultural tourism,

—	Europe's place in the world, from an artistic, intellectual and scientific point of view, depends to a considerable extent on the dynamism of its cultural creative work and on its cultural exchanges with third countries,

—	cultural ties between Europe and the other regions of the world can be important for the development of intercultural dialogue and the setting up of common cultural projects; moreover, the Union has to ensure the promotion of its cultural and linguistic diversity.

CALL ON THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION, WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPHERES OF COMPETENCE AND WITH DUE REGARD FOR THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY, TO:

A. Pursue the following policy objectives:

strengthening the place and the role of culture in the policies and programmes conducted within the framework of external relations and promoting cooperation with third countries and international organisations with responsibility in the field of culture, in particular UNESCO and the Council of Europe, in order to improve the quality and diversity of the cultural activities carried out, and, more generally, contribute to the attainment of external policy objectives and to sustainable development;

promoting the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of 20 October 2005 by:

—	encouraging the ratification and implementation of this Convention, which is a central element in the cultural relations of the Union and its Member States with third countries and one of the pillars of global governance,

—	taking full account in its external relations of the specific nature of cultural activities, goods and services, which have a dual nature, economic and cultural,

—	entering into or pursuing a political dialogue with third countries, particularly on legislative and regulatory frameworks, in order to develop the place of culture in their policies,

—

promoting external cultural policies that encourage dynamism and balance in the exchange of cultural goods and services with third countries, particularly emerging economies, in order to preserve and promote cultural diversity in the world and to contribute to the vitality of the European economy of culture,

—

strengthening the contribution of culture to sustainable development and furthering cooperation and solidarity with developing countries in a spirit of partnership, in particular in order to increase the capacity of those countries to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expression, including cultural industries and contemporary creative work;

promoting intercultural dialogue through the pursuit of specific projects, awareness-raising activities and exchanges of good practice carried out successfully in the Member States and outside the Union in the framework of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008), in particular in the light of the stock-taking exercise on that Year that will be carried out by the Commission.

B. Define comprehensive and consistent approaches:

—	drawing up a European strategy for incorporating culture consistently and systematically in the external relations of the Union and contributing to the complementarity of the Union's activities with those of its Member States,

—

establishing specific strategies with regions and countries outside the Union with a view to clarifying objectives and approaches in the area of cultural relations; these strategies will in particular be tailored to the features and sustainable development prospects of their cultural sectors, to the state of cultural exchanges with the Union and to their economic and social situations,

—	these specific strategies could be defined, in accordance with the distribution of powers established in the Treaty, at the end of processes involving expertise and consultation with the regions and countries concerned.

C. Strengthen, in this framework, support for:

—

cooperative cultural activities undertaken with third countries at local, regional or national level, in particular with a view to promoting cultural and artistic exchanges and co-productions, contributing to the training and mobility of artists and cultural professionals, and strengthening, if necessary, the development capacities of the cultural sectors of the partner countries, especially through the exchange of expertise,

—	the international promotion of European cultural activities, goods and services, including those of an audiovisual nature, such as external audiovisual services, and the mobility of European artists and cultural professionals outside the Union,

—	multilingualism — especially through language learning, translation and the development of the potential of all European languages to develop cultural and economic dialogue with the rest of the world — and the development of intercultural skills,

—	the mobility of young people under appropriate Community initiatives and programmes, their cultural and artistic education — including media literacy — and their access to artistic expressions in all their diversity,

—	the protection of copyright and related rights and the prevention of and fight against counterfeiting and piracy at international level, in the framework of the relevant bilateral and multilateral agreements and political dialogue and cooperation with third countries,

—

the protection, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, and international cooperation, including through the exchange of experience in the light of the above-mentioned UNESCO Convention of 1970, in the field of the prevention of and the fight against theft and illicit trafficking of cultural goods, in particular those illicitly acquired through illegal excavations or pillaging of monuments.

D. Accordingly develop the following working methods and instruments:

—

have recourse to analysis of the cultural sectors of third countries, including their development prospects and their regulatory frameworks, in order to contribute to a better definition of the strategies and activities to be undertaken; the Commission, in cooperation with Member States and third countries, will contribute to this analysis,

—

use the experience of the Member States, encourage synergies with a view to contributing to the complementarity of the activities undertaken by the Union with those of its Member States and initiating more activities and joint cultural projects at international level; the open method of coordination for culture can play a role here,

—

ensure that, in the framework of existing financial instruments, operational programmes are defined and tailored to the characteristics of the culture sector, in particular to small production and distribution structures, and to the specific local features of the Member States and partner countries: better access by professionals to information on support programmes and activities, simplification of procedures for obtaining grants, registration of long-term financial assistance, etc.,

—	take into account the strategies put in place with each of the Union's partners in the negotiation of international agreements with regional organisations or third countries,

—	encourage the involvement of artists, cultural professionals, and, more broadly, civil society, in both Member States and partner countries, in drawing up and implementing external cultural policies,

—	lastly, promote wider cooperation between the cultural institutions of the Member States of the Union in third countries, including cultural institutes and their equivalents in those countries in particular through the constitution of networks.

(1) Council Decision 2006/515/EC of 18 May 2006 on the conclusion of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (OJ L 201, 25.7.2006, p. 15).

(2) OJ L 412, 30.12.2006, p. 44.

(3) 11018/08.

(4) OJ C 287, 29.11.2007, p. 1.

(5) 9021/08.

(6) OJ C 143, 10.6.2008, p. 9.

(7) COM(2007) 242 final.

16.12.2008

Official Journal of the European Union

C 320/13

Euro exchange rates (1)

15 December 2008

(2008/C 320/05)

1 euro=

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,351
JPY	Japanese yen	122,42
DKK	Danish krone	7,4502
GBP	Pound sterling	0,8994
SEK	Swedish krona	10,865
CHF	Swiss franc	1,5789
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	9,322
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	26,157
EEK	Estonian kroon	15,6466
HUF	Hungarian forint	266,74
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,7092
PLN	Polish zloty	3,9949
RON	Romanian leu	3,94
SKK	Slovak koruna	30,161
TRY	Turkish lira	2,1172
AUD	Australian dollar	2,0246
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,6555
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	10,4703
NZD	New Zealand dollar	2,4441
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,992
KRW	South Korean won	1 859,35
ZAR	South African rand	13,816
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	9,2544
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,1781
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	15 117,69
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,8129
PHP	Philippine peso	64,38
RUB	Russian rouble	37,5615
THB	Thai baht	47,123
BRL	Brazilian real	3,2481
MXN	Mexican peso	18,4344

(1)

Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

16.12.2008

Official Journal of the European Union

C 320/16

Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.5415 — Telenet/Concentra/VAR/JV)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2008/C 320/08)

On 8 December 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertakings Telenet NV (‘Telenet’, Belgium) controlled by Liberty Global, Inc. (‘Liberty Global’, USA), Concentra Media NV (‘Concentra’, Belgium) and Vlaamse Audiovisuele Regie NV (‘VAR’, Belgium), controlled by Vlaamse Radio- en Televiesieomroep (‘VRT’, Belgium) acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation joint control of the undertaking Pebble Media NV (the ‘JV’, Belgium) by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

—	for Liberty Global: provision of television, telephone and internet access services through cable networks to residential and business subscribers in 17 countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands,

—	for Telenet: provision of television, telephone and Internet access services through cable networks to residential and business subscribers in Belgium,

—	for Concentra: publishing of newspapers and magazines, internet publishing, free-to-air television and radio in Belgium,

—	for VRT: free-to-air television and radio in Belgium,

—	for VAR: sale of television, radio and online advertising space in Belgium,

—	for the JV: intermediation services for the sale of online advertising space in Belgium and neighbouring countries.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax ((32-2) 296 43 01 or 296 72 44) or by post, under reference number COMP/M.5415 — Telenet/Concentra/VAR/JV, to the following address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

J-70

B-1049 Brussels

(1) OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1.

(2) OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32.

		ISSN 1725-2423
Official Journal of the European Union		C 320

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 51 16 December 2008

Notice No	Contents	page
	I Resolutions, recommendations and opinions
	RESOLUTIONS
	Council
2008/C 320/01	Council Resolution of 21 November 2008 on a European strategy for multilingualism	1

	V Announcements
	ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
	European Parliament
2008/C 320/06	Recruitment notice PE/115/S	14

	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMON COMMERCIAL POLICY
	Commission
2008/C 320/07	Notice of the expiry of certain anti-dumping measures	15

	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPETITION POLICY
	Commission
2008/C 320/08	Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.5415 — Telenet/Concentra/VAR/JV) — Candidate case for simplified procedure ( 1 )	16

Product	Country(ies) of origin or exportation	Measures	Reference	Date of expiry
Silicon	Russia	Anti-dumping duty	Council Regulation (EC) No 2229/2003 (OJ L 339, 24.12.2003, p. 3) as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 821/2004 (OJ L 127, 29.4.2004, p. 1)	25.12.2008
Silicon	Russia	Undertaking	Commission Decision 2004/445/EC (OJ L 127, 29.4.2004, p. 114)	25.12.2008

	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES
	Council
2008/C 320/02	Council Decision of 27 November 2008 appointing three members of the Management Board of the European Chemicals Agency	4

2008/C 320/03	Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 21 November 2008 on youth mobility	6

2008/C 320/04	Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue in the external relations of the Union and its Member States	10

	Commission
2008/C 320/05	Euro exchange rates	13