EU BELGIAN PRESIDENCY

oct 05

The Culture Programme of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union includes many meetings and conferences that Europa Nostra attended and will attend.

Creativity, Culture and Innovation: looking for new links

This conference took place on 8 and 9 September and gathered more than 400 participants from the cultural sector of the 27 member States. Mrs Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner in charge of Education and Culture, and Mrs Fadila Laanan, Minister for Culture and Audiovisual Affairs in the Government of the French-speaking Community in Belgium gave the opening speech.

The seminar focused on the innovative dimension of the culture sector and in particular the cultural and creative industries which are now recognised as being an essential element for innovation. Within the context of implementation of the “EU 2020” strategy, the goal was to highlight and promote the considerable potential of these industries. Special attention was paid to the self-employed, micro-enterprises and to small and medium enterprises which guarantee cultural diversity and play a determinant role in the development of the cultural and creative sectors.

The two subjects of the seminar: (i) innovation for culture and (ii) culture for innovation were each the subject of two workshop sessions. 

For more information, the press release and the programme of the Conference, please see:

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/news2920_en.htm

Contribution of Culture to combate poverty and social exclusion

This seminar will take place on 17-19 October and is linked to the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 2010. The conference aims to demonstrate that combating poverty and social exclusion concerns and implies directly the culture policy field.

For more information, please see:

http://www.eutrio.be/contribution-culture-fight-against-poverty-and-social-exclusion

 
Europe: a shared history! Why transnational projects?

A meeting of the experts of the European Heritage Label on 22 October bringing together Member State experts from Cultural administrations, delegates from the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO, in addition to representatives from extra-European countries.

The focus is on transnational projects aiming to identify, through existing networks, the assets and pitfalls in this type of cooperation, whilst additionally aiming to determine the added value offered by the European Heritage Label with regard to other international recognition systems. This conference will also be an opportunity to discuss this initiative (very much supported by Europa Nostra) and to assess the progress of the adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the draft decision of the Commission aimed at creating a "European Heritage Label".

European Forum on Architectural Policies “Architecture as a vehicle of social cohesion”

This meeting will take place on 18-20 November with the aim to widen the platform of sustainable management and conservation of heritage within European institutions.

Europe and Heritage: a challenge. Towards a European heritage strategy

The Immovable Heritage Policy Area of the Flemish Government organises, within the framework of the Belgian EU Presidency, the Conference: “Europe and Cultural Heritage: a Challenge. Towards a European Cultural Heritage Strategy” on 9 December 2010 in Bruges (Belgium), Site Oud Sint-Jan.

more information on this Conference here