The Council reached a general approach on a draft Decision designating 2009 as the European year of creativity and innovation.
Declaring a European year of creativity and innovation will be an effective way of helping to meet the challenges facing Europe by raising public awareness, disseminating information about good practices and promoting research and policy debate.
The objective of the European year will be to promote creativity through lifelong learning, as a driver for innovation and as a key factor for the development of personal, entrepreneurial and social competences and the wellbeing of all individuals in the society.
The activities within the framework of the European year will be financed from the existing programmes in the field of education and training, in particular from the Lifelong Learning Programme. However, given the subject matter, programmes and policies in other fields such as enterprise, cohesion, research and the information society could support this initiative.
An agreement with the European Parliament at first reading would be desirable with a view to ensuring that preparations for the European year can begin in good time.