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Morak: Continuity of the EU support programmes "Culture 2007" and "Media 2007" secured with increased budget

First debate on the directive on audiovisual media services in the Culture Council chaired by Austria

"I am pleased that it has been possible to secure the continuity of the support programmes "Culture 2007" and "Media 2007" with an increased budget as a result of the decisions taken by the Council ", State Secretary Franz Morak said on Thursday evening in Brussels.

Morak, who represented the Council Presidency, gave a brief report together with Commissioner Viviane Reding and Commissioner Jan Figel' on the results of the meeting of yesterday's Culture Council in Brussels. The budget for "Culture 2007" will now be EUR 400 million, that for "Media 2007" EUR 255 million, for a period of seven years in both cases. Morak also reported on the dense work programme of yesterday’s Council meeting on culture and audiovisual affairs. The Austrian Presidency of the Council has succeeded in achieving substantial progress on all dossiers, including eight proposals for legislation. The subjects include the various support programmes in the culture and media sectors such as the European capitals of culture, the new citizenship programme, the year of intercultural dialogue, the conclusion of the UNESCO Convention and the directive on audiovisual media services.

Morak, Reding and Figel' welcomed the fact that there had been a discussion in the Council for the first time on content and the creative industries. "Content policy must become an integral part of European economic, technological and cultural policy in future", said Morak, whose initiative it was to have this subject debated in the Council.

Concerning the directive on audiovisual media services, Morak said there had been a first intensive exchange of views in the Culture Council on the Commission’s proposal. Key issues were the extension of scope, the establishment principle, the definition of product placement and the liberalisation and modernisation of the provisions on values. Reding and Morak stressed that this debate would be pursued in the Council for several years to come.

Finally, Morak said that the decisions taken at this Council meeting made it possible both to secure continuing cooperation in Europe and to create the conditions for bringing Europe closer to its citizens, in the interests of those working in the culture sector.