COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 28 October 1999

integrating history into the Community's cultural action

(1999/C 324/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Whereas:

(1) European cooperation and integration should be based on awareness and protection of cultural diversity and mutual understanding between Europe's peoples; this is especially relevant in view of the future enlargement of the European Union;

(2) The everyday lives of the peoples of Europe have been shaped by diverse historical experiences; knowledge of the shared experiences and memories strengthens the bonds between European citizens and contributes to the development of a European awareness;

(3) Europe is also a community of shared values; European integration building on the fundamental principles of human rights, the rule of law and democracy is the consequence of historical experiences which constitute our common heritage today; knowledge of the history of Europe's peoples helps to ensure that those political principles and their attendant values are firmly anchored in the minds of its citizens;

(4) In addition to history and arts teaching in schools - which is the responsibility of the Member States - books, television, new media, museums, libraries, archives and film museums play an increasingly important role in communicating historical knowledge;

(5) The expert meeting on the culture of European history in the twenty-first century held in Bonn on 25 and 26 January 1999 considered a wide range of positive measures for fostering an awareness of the history of European peoples, for instance by:

- the promotion of the translation of historical works,

- the encouragement of the exchange of historical documentaries between European radio and television providers,

- the fostering of Europe-wide cooperation between history museums;

AGREES ON

- the need to contribute to a better mutual understanding of the history and diverse historical experience of Europe's peoples through closer cooperation between Member States and other relevant bodies,

- the need for history to be taken into account not only in measures that promote culture but also in other support programmes, for instance in the field of education and research, having regard to the need for consistency and complementarity between Community support measures;

INVITES THE COMMISSION

- when implementing the single financing and programming instrument for cultural cooperation, once adopted, as well as other relevant instruments, to give appropriate consideration to projects in the historical field,

- to ensure that such projects are as pan-European as possible in order to improve the knowledge and understanding of the history of the European peoples and thereby making a significant contribution to European cooperation and integration,

- to strive for close collaboration with the Council of Europe and Unesco on historical projects,

- to ensure coordination between existing programmes and activities in relevant fields.