Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-14-Speech-4-025"
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"en.20050414.4.4-025"2
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".
I would like to thank the honourable Members for the question, which allows me, on behalf of Commissioner Figeľ, to update the European Parliament on the state of play of the ongoing negotiations for a Unesco Convention on Cultural Diversity.
On behalf of Commissioner Figeľ I wish to thank Parliament, and in particular the Culture Committee, for its early and active involvement in the Unesco negotiations, and for its general support for the Commission in this process.
This follows Parliament’s request to be kept informed of the discussions on this issue within the ambit of Unesco. The oral question and the motion for a resolution on Unesco follows on from Parliament's report and resolution on the safeguarding and promotion of cultural diversity and the role of the European region, and the international organisations such as Unesco and the Council of Europe. These were adopted on 2 December 2003 and 14 January 2004 respectively and the rapporteur was Mrs Christa Prets.
Both texts had called on the Commission to inform Parliament regularly, and in particular the Committee on Culture and Education, of the negotiations taking place in Unesco. The Commission responded to the invitation positively.
Following the provisional Unesco timetable for the negotiations on the future convention, the intergovernmental negotiations were launched in September 2004, and the negotiations on substance started in December 2004, with the first meeting of the Drafting Group. A few weeks after the end of the Drafting Group meeting, the Commission accepted Parliament's invitation to take part in a mini-hearing on the Unesco negotiations. This meeting was held on 25 January 2005 with members of the Culture Committee, with Mr Schmitt in the chair. It gave rise to a substantial discussion with the Commission and the Luxembourg presidency on the current negotiation process. The Commission remains available to take part in similar meetings in the future. The Culture Committee has already envisaged one such meeting for later this month.
Negotiations are well under way in Unesco. From an EU point of view, the last negotiating session, in February, took place in a good collaborative spirit, on the basis of a Code of Conduct adopted by COREPER on 27 January 2005. The unity of the EU's representation has been strictly respected throughout the session on the basis of common positions established through numerous Community coordination meetings.
With a single voice, the European Union has become a reference for the debate and a major partner in the negotiation. However, the Commission’s observer status in Unesco entails numerous restrictions that limit its ability to negotiate. The European Union has thus introduced a request for full participant status for the European Community in this negotiation, and this will be discussed at Unesco in April.
Although the February session has not been able to produce a new consolidated draft convention, the overall results of this negotiating session on substance are positive in relation to European Union expectations and positions. The general trend resulting from the plenary debates is in line with the European Union's common positions, including the articulation with other instruments.
The April session of the Unesco Executive Board will have to confirm the convening of a new intergovernmental negotiating session, provisionally scheduled for 25 May to 4 June 2005. It will also discuss the request made by the European Community for a reinforced status in the current negotiations.
The main next steps in the provisional timetable for the negotiations in Unesco are as follows. The Spring Executive Board will be held on 18-28 April 2005. Notably, this session will discuss the request from the European Community for a reinforced status in Unesco for the purpose of the current negotiations on the future convention. The next session of intergovernmental negotiations is scheduled for 25 May to 4 June 2005, while the Autumn Executive Board is to be held on 13-29 September 2005. Finally, the General Conference is to take place on 3-21 October 2005 when, on the basis of the provisional timetable, the Convention on Cultural Diversity should be adopted."@en1
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