Where Do We Stand? On the Way to a European Cultural Policy.
Foundations - Strategies - Prospects

Introduction by Gottfried Wagner, Director of the European Cultural Foundation (ECF), Amsterdam. Presentation by Ján Figel’, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture and Youth, Brussels.
Subsequent panel debate with Ján Figel’, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture and Youth, Brussels, Ilona Kish, Secretary-General of the European Forum for the Arts and Heritage (EFAH), Brussels, Robert Palmer, Director of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, Olaf Schwencke, President of the German Association of the ECF for Cultural Cooperation in Europe, Berlin, Gottfried Wagner, Director of the European Cultural Foundation (ECF), Amsterdam. Moderation: Dragan Klaic, Felix Meritis Foundation, Amsterdam

Following the general speeches in the morning, the specific topic of this Panel is to be the current position of European cultural policy - insofar as there is one. Based on critical stocktaking, it should be possible to outline the future strategic necessities.

What were the results of the Berlin Conference "A Soul for Europe" in autumn 2004 and the "follow-up conferences" in Paris, Budapest, Granada and Lublin - and Berlin in 2006? Was progress made? What tasks and policy decisions are imminent, and what is the opinion of the Member States and the European institutions?
The discussion could focus on the planned Communication of the EU on the future development of cultural policy. Links to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue in 2008 would also be helpful, in order to relate the discussion to current cultural policy activities of the EU.

The proposals of NGOs and European networks are also to be taken into account, in order to identify the strategic necessities for action on the basis of the whole picture of the various proposals.